Callous Revenge
by Animouse03
Summary: Five years since the end of the war and things have been going quite smoothly…until a crazed man emerges from the shadows in search of revenge on the Gundam Pilots. Slight Mpreg. Yaoi. Some Angst. Tragic Ending.
1. Chapter 1

**Callous Revenge**

**Chapter One**

History is like an Endless Waltz in three-four time.

The Never-Ending steps of War, Peace and Revolution.

Those were the historic words spoken during the greatest war the Earth had ever seen. It was those words that were inscribed above the entrance to the Preventor Headquarters. Every morning when Preventor Agents walked through the large double doors, they were reminded of the war they had survived, and it gave them strength to march through the halls to their offices or on to their missions. Even now, five years after the war had ended, peace had reigned and revolution had changed the world, those words remained a pillar in society.

Many things had changed since they end of the war: All of the mobile suits had been decommissioned and destroyed; The Earth Sphere United Nations had been renamed The Planetary Alliance and now included the new colonies on the moon and on Mars; and the Sanc Kingdom was commissioned as the new Capital of Earth and home to the Planetary Alliance Headquarters.

Relena Darlin was promoted to Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Planetary Alliance and took up residence in her old Kingdom along with the other ministers and politicians. Heero Yuy remained with her as her body guard, determined to keep his promise to her and insure her safety. Duo Maxwell joined the Preventors and became the Electronics Technician and Specialist. He rarely goes on missions, preferring to work with the computers and things that can't fight back. Chang Wufei also joined the Preventors and is now one of their best agents. He is partnered with Zechs Merquis, who joined the Preventors with his wife, Noin, as soon as the Terraforming Project on Mars was complete. Trowa Barton remained with the circus, enjoying the leisurely travel and athletic work. Quatre Raberba Winner took over his fathers company and expanded it to not only the creation of colonies, but also the creation of buildings and houses on Earth as well.

Life had become routine and the peace was unnerving to most and welcomed by others. Duo was somewhere in the middle. He still wasn't used to peace, but he wasn't complaining either. The day had started like any other; Duo walked into Preventors HQ, clocked in, and sauntered back to the Chief's office to announce his arrival. One…two…three knocks and behind the closed door Duo heard the feminine voice of his boss telling him to enter. He opened the door and smiled.

"Hey Sally! I'm here!" He announced.

Sally looked up from the piles of paper work on her desk and smiled. Five years and still Duo acted like a juvenile. She shook her head laughed to herself.

"Good morning, Duo."

Duo strolled in and sat in the chair just in front of her desk. "So, anything new for me today?"

Sally ruffled through a few papers and shook her head. "Nope. Doesn't look like it. Just the continuation of updates." She looked up at the braided ex-pilot. "The new shipment of computers should be getting in today."

Duo grinned. "Good! It's about time! I'm tired of having to doctor those worthless pieces of junk in the office." He stood. "Well, I'll get to work then." He turned and left the room with a wave.

On his way down the hall to his office, he met Wufei, who was just coming in.

"Hey Wu-Man! Long time no see!" He smiled and held his hand out.

Wufei smirked. Though he didn't want to admit it aloud, he had missed Duo's flamboyant personality. The friends shook hands and Wufei bowed his head.

"So, Mission Complete?" Duo winked. He knew he didn't have to ask. Wufei would never return from a mission without it being complete.

Just as Duo expected, Wufei nodded. "Of course."

Duo chuckled and nodded. "Good! It just wasn't the same around here without you, Wu-Man!" He smiled and slapped his friend's back affectionately before continuing on his way down the hall.

Wufei turned and watched him go with a shake of his head. As much as Wufei had enjoyed his privacy, since the war he had learned to not only tolerate, but actually enjoy Duo's company as well. He still wasn't sure why, but Duo had a calming effect; and after being gone for two weeks on a mission, it was nice to see his smile again.

Wufei stalked purposefully down the hall and entered Sally's office without knocking. Without even looking up she waved.

"Hello Wufei." She looked up and smirked. "Report?"

Wufei approached her desk and dropped a thick folder in front of her. "I finished it on the way here."

Sally nodded. She wasn't surprised. Wufei always finished his report before walking through the doors of HQ. She briefly flipped through them and smiled up at him.

"Good work, Chang."

Wufei bowed and turned to leave the room when Sally's voice stopped him.

"And Wufei…"

He stopped and looked back at her.

"Try and relax for a while huh? That was a tough mission." She winked.

Wufei couldn't help the blush that crossed his cheeks. He quickly recovered with a glare and left the room, conveniently forgetting to close the door. Wufei hadn't been overly pleased with the alias he had been assigned for this mission. It was his luck that the rebel spy happened to live in a prominently gay community. Wufei's alias was that of a male escort so he could learn the secret information he was after. Unfortunately, the rebel wasn't the first one to call on his "services." He had to put up with an overly emotional teenage girl, a horde of horny old men, and a woman old enough to be his grandmother before the rebel had finally called. Needless to say, he was not in the mood to talk.

He entered the office he shared with Zechs and slammed the door. Zechs looked up from his desk and smirked. Besides Sally, Zechs was the only one who knew the details of Wufei's mission. The Chinese man glared at his partner as he sat at his desk.

"Not a word." He threatened.

"Of course not." Zechs replied and continued filling out reports, though the smirk never left his face.

The blond stood up and stretched his arms over his head. "Well, I'm going to head to the break room." He said and began walking to the door. "You want some coffee?" He asked.

"Hn." Wufei grunted as he shuffled through the piles of paper on his desk.

Zechs smothered a chuckle and left the room. He had been sent on missions similar to the one Wufei had just returned from so he wasn't about to tease, even though the thought made him want to burst out laughing: Chang Wufei, Male Escort. It just wasn't his style. Zechs chuckled as he entered the break room and pulled two coffee mugs from the cupboard. It wasn't until he was standing in front of the coffee maker that he noticed the pair of legs sticking out from under the sink. He blinked and moved back to get a better look. Duo was laying on his back under the sink.

"Duo?"

A loud 'clank' sound echoed through the room followed by a pained shout. "Hey, what's the idea?" Duo shouted and pulled himself from under the pipes, rubbing his head. He looked up at Zechs and smirked. "Ahh, Zechs. What's up?"

Zechs shrugged and continued filling his mug. "Sink acting up again?"

Duo nodded, annoyed. "Yes. Damn thing keeps spewing water at random angles. What we need is new equipment. But heaven forbid the budget go to something we _need_." He complained.

Zechs chuckled. "I'm sure you'll convince them eventually."

Duo mumbled something under his breath that sounded like "fat chance" before crawling back under the sink. "Hey Zechs, have you heard from Heero and Relena lately?" He called from inside the cabinet.

Zechs smiled as he added sugar to his coffee. "Just yesterday, actually. They're doing good."

"Has the council changed their mind yet? Or do they still think that Relena is going to marry that bozo from Colony X-19889?"

Zechs laughed. "Oh no, they don't know about her and Heero yet. Though I have a feeling they will soon."

Duo stopped working and peeked out with a large smirk on his face. "Why's that?"

Zechs chuckled. "Relena's two weeks pregnant with Heero's baby."

Duo doubled over in laughter. "Oh…my….no….way…!" He laughed. "That's too much!" He shouted as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Well, they better get a move on. And hey, tell em I said congrats!"

Zechs nodded and waved, leaving Duo to his laughing fit. Heero and Relena had been a couple for the past few years; the only problem was that the council of the Planetary Alliance didn't think it would be appropriate for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to marry a Gundam Pilot. Relena understood their point but she loved Heero. In order to stop her, the council announced to the world that Relena would be marrying a politician from the colonies named Alex Ventamer. Determined to keep the peace, Relena hadn't confronted them in front of everyone, but now she was determined to make them see that her marriage to Heero would make no difference in her leadership. So far they haven't listened to her.

Zechs reentered the office to find Wufei having a heated conversation through the Vid-phone. As Zechs set the coffee mug down on his partners desk, he saw Quatre's face on the screen, and he didn't look amused. Not wanting to butt in, Zechs returned to his desk and continued working; conveniently listening to every word.

"You're being foolish, Winner." Wufei hissed.

"Humor me, Wufei." Quatre replied. He was smiling but his tone was hard. "You've been gone two weeks and need to relax."

"I will do no such thing. There is to much work to be done."

"Wufei, I will not accept no for an answer."

Wufei was silent. As much as he hated it, Quatre had a power over him; over everyone. It was one of the reasons Quatre's business had grown so large in so short a time. Wufei glared into the tiny screen.

"Very well."

Quatre's voice changed instantly. "Great! See you there!"

Wufei closed the Vid-phone and began scribbling on random papers. Zechs looked up and raised a brow. "Something wrong?" He asked.

Wufei glared but continued scribbling. "Winner wishes us to join him at his manor this evening for dinner."

Zechs smirked at Wufei. "And that's bad?"

Wufei huffed but didn't answer. Zechs chuckled and continued writing. He knew why Wufei didn't want to go anywhere tonight. He probably wanted to shower twenty times and meditate until he forgot all about his mission; he also didn't want to answer any questions. The two friends had been working together for so long that neither had to ask what the other was thinking. Instead of teasing Wufei, who he knew was sensitive to matters of the heart (and other forbidden body parts), he looked onward to dinner with Quatre. The food at the young Arab's manor was always the best and the conversation even better. He was excited to see everyone again. It had been a long time since they last met. Wufei had been gone on mission after mission for the past few months, Trowa had been traveling everywhere with the circus, Duo had been trapped under piles and piles of paperwork for the new computers, Heero was busy with Relena and her meetings and Quatre was having problems with his underlings. It would be nice to see them all again and he was quite looking forward to it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Quatre excitedly rushed around the kitchen of his mansion, dodging maids and his cook as he prepared for the arrival of his friends. It had been so long since they had all got together and he couldn't wait to see everyone. The dinner was about ready and Quatre had just finished setting the table when the doorbell rang. Quatre bounded his way to the door and threw it open.

"Hey Q-man!" Duo beamed.

"Hello Duo!" Quatre smiled.

Behind the braided man stood Zechs, Noin and a solemn-faced Wufei to which Quatre exchanged a pleasant greeting while ushering them inside.

"Heero and Relena are already in the parlor and Dinner is almost ready." Quatre explained as he led them further into the house.

"Great! I'm starved!" Duo exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

"Is Trowa coming?" Zechs asked as they walked.

Quatre beamed and nodded. "Yes! He should be here anytime now." As though in answer, the doorbell rang again. "Oh! That must be him! You know the way don't you? I have to get the door." The young blond said as he bounded back down the hall.

Duo laughed and Zechs smirked.

"Is it just me or does Quatre seem overly excited to see Trowa?" Noin asked with a smirk.

Duo and Zechs chuckled and Wufei huffed as they walked into the parlor. Heero and Relena were in the middle of a rather heated – though hushed – debate.

"Heero, I'm fine. Really." Relena was saying.

"Are you sure you don't need to rest?" Heero asked when he noticed the others. He stood in welcome but when Relena tried to he pushed her back down. "You need to rest." He said.

She glared and turned to their friends. "It's wonderful to see you all." She smiled.

Zechs reached her and bent down to kiss her cheek. "You're feeling alright?" He asked with a smile.

She nodded. "Yes, though if you ask Heero I've suddenly been turned into glass." She said shooting a glare at her lover.

Heero shrugged and sat back down. Zechs rolled his eyes and sat on the couch next to his sister.

"Have you thought of any names yet?" Noin asked sitting across from them on the other couch.

Relena shook her head. "It's only been two weeks, Noin." She giggled. "Besides, we have slightly more immediate matters to worry about."

Duo laughed. "Yeah, like explaining to the council why you're pregnant with another man's baby."

Relena glared momentarily at Duo for his bluntness, but realized she couldn't argue. Quatre and Trowa entered the parlor a few minutes later and after a friendly exchange, the cook called that dinner was ready. As usual, Quatre's food was the best any of them had ever had; Steaks bigger than the plate with mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, iced tea and even a strawberry cake for desert. The pilots ate and talked about little things until the food was gone then they left and returned to the parlor for drinks and friendly conversation.

"So, how is the circus doing, Trowa?" Duo asked as he sipped on his margarita.

"It's going well. Cathy has a new act that's very impressive and I've started working with the elephants more." He explained as Quatre handed him his martini.

"That's great! Where's the next show?" Quatre asked, joining Trowa on the couch.

"In town, actually. We're here until this weekend. The show is on Saturday."

"Great! I'll be there!" Quatre smiled.

Trowa smiled and they exchanged a look to which Duo had to smother his laughter.

"Well, this is all very exciting but I need a little more action." He leaned over and grabbed the T.V. remote and pressed the power button. He quickly began flipping through channels when something caught his eye. One of the news channels was showing clips of the Gundams in battle!

"Hey wow! I didn't realize we were still famous!" He teased as all of the friends watched the footage.

"…the Gundam pilots have long been friends of Earth and the colonies for the heroic actions during the war." The woman on the screen was saying.

"Damn straight we are!" Duo exclaimed.

"Quiet Duo." Heero scolded as a new face came on the screen. It was a picture of a man with a balding head and a ragged black mustache.

"This man, Reigo DeNadda, has been arrested this morning on the charges of life threats and resisting arrest. We received footage of the man shouting threats to the camera's of a morning talk show:"

The screen flashed as the footage rolled. The man was jumping up and down shouting at the camera while the security of the talk show tried to restrain him.

"It's all there fault!" He was shouting. "Those damn Gundam pilots! I'll get em! I swear! They killed my family!"

The friends froze and their eyes widened. Quatre looked around nervously and the others looked uncomfortable. The woman's voice came back and they turned to the screen to hear her say that the man was placed in a holding cell in the L2 colony. Duo turned off the T.V. and turned to his friends.

"Wow…" He muttered.

Wufei crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "We can't make everyone happy."

Quatre looked at his lap. "But his family…Do you really think we're responsible?"

Trowa shrugged. "Could be…we took many lives."

"It was war." Heero said. "There were bound to be casualties."

The others nodded.

Relena looked up. "I wonder what he meant by "I'll get them." You don't suppose he means to hurt any of you, do you?"

"It doesn't matter." Wufei shrugged. "He is locked up. We needn't worry about him."

Zechs nodded and wrapped an arm around his sister. "That's right. We'll be fine."

Relena smiled and nodded. "Of course. I trust that you all can take care of yourselves by now." She winked.

The rest of the night went by peacefully and by the time everyone walked out of Quatre's house that evening, the threats of the crazed man on the television had long been forgotten. If only they knew that at that very moment, that same crazed man was breaking out of prison.

* * *

**Hey, I hope you all enjoyed it! And please, feel free to comment. I really love getting feedback on my writing (both positive and negative). Anyway, hope you all liked it and I'll try to update soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Just like any other morning, Duo walked through the large double doors of the Preventor Headquarters just as the sun was peeking up over the mountains. He never got over how beautiful that was. He still wasn't used to being on Earth for extended periods. He had only been there briefly during the war and then he had more important things to worry about than the sunrise. Now, he paused on the steps to watch as the sky was colored orange and red. He smiled to himself and walked inside. Not seconds after he stepped onto the carpeted hallway, Sally came running down the hall and grabbed him by the arm.

"Where have you been?" She shouted and began dragging him down the hall.

"What do you mean!" Duo shouted, trying to keep up. "I'm actually early today!" He complained as he was shoved into a conference room with Sally slamming the door closed behind them. Duo blinked, trying to regain the focus he had lost while being dragged. Wufei and Zechs were sitting in the room, both looking as confused as he felt, and Heero sat with Relena across from them. Duo paused. Heero and Relena? They didn't work here! Over in the corner, Duo found Quatre and Trowa talking around the coffee pot. Before Duo could ask, Sally shoved him roughly into a chair next to Zechs and ushered Quatre and Trowa to join them.

"What is going on here, Sally?" Wufei asked, tired of all the secrecy.

"Yeah! What's the deal breakin my arm off?" Duo complained rubbing the joint where his shoulder and arm connected.

Sally looked gravely around at the others and took a calming breath. "We have a situation."

Quatre frowned. "What is it Sally? I don't think I've ever seen you this serious. Even during the war."

Sally nodded. "It's bad. I'm sure you all saw the news last night?"

"Oh, is this about the psycho they arrested? The one who says we killed his family?" Duo asked and leaned back in his chair. "Don't worry about him Sally, he's nothing."

"He's a lot more than you think Duo." Sally said, her voice rising.

"What do you know?" Zechs asked.

Another calming breath and Sally continued. "That man, Reigo DeNadda, he escaped from prison last night."

Duo spit out his mouthful of coffee. "Escaped? How? The holding cells on L2 are practically impenetrable! Hell even a Gundam has trouble getting through."

"I know." Sally said seriously. "The guards found his cell to be empty this morning with a note laying on the bed." She pulled out a small piece of paper from her notes. It was a picture of a prison bed with the pillow slit to make words. The words read: The Gundam pilots will pay. The picture was passed around and then Quatre turned to Sally.

"How did he escape?"

"No one knows." Sally replied. "They found no forced entry or exit and everything, except for the pillow, was in tact. Also, they have it on good authority that he will be armed and very dangerous. We don't know what he's capable of, but we know it can't be good."

Trowa fixed his sturdy gaze onto Sally. "What do you purpose we do?"

Sally smiled slightly. "I'm glad you asked." She reached into her files and pulled out another picture. This one was of a very small house on the beach. "I've arranged for this safe house. Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, Duo and Heero; I want you five to move in there a.s.a.p. for your own safety."

"I will not." Heero said.

They all turned to him. He was sitting with his head bowed and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Relena needs me." He said plainly.

"I need you to be alive." Relena argued. She turned to Sally. "How long would this be for?"

Sally shrugged. "I was just getting to that." She turned to Zechs. "Zechs, I would like you and Noin to do everything in your power to find and stop this man before he can hurt the others."

The couple nodded and Sally smiled, turning back to Relena. "They would only be there until Reigo can be caught again."

Relena nodded and turned back to Heero. "Heero, you must go with the others."

Heero turned to her, his expression grim. "I will not leave you alone."

Relena sighed and stood. "Excuse us, please." She said and ushered Heero out of the room. The others exchanged a few uneasy glances while they waited. After a few minutes, Heero and Relena returned. Heero huffed and sat in his chair. "I'll go." He said and then turned to Zechs. "I want your word, Merquise, that no harm will come to her."

Zechs knew better than to argue with Heero when it came to his sister, so he nodded. "You have my word, Yuy."

Seemingly satisfied, Heero nodded and sat back down in his chair. Wufei leaned forward and placed his hands on the table. "When do we leave?"

"Tonight. I want you all to stay here for the day, preparing, and then a transport will take you to the cottage as soon as night falls." She picked up a folder and handed it to Trowa, who was closest to her. "This will contain all the information you will need about the house, the area and everything we know so far. Contact between Preventor HQ and your hideout will be limited. I only want to hear from you if you feel endangered and need to be moved."

"And food?" Duo asked, hopefully.

"The cottage is stocked with several food items, but if you run out you'll have to find your own." She replied.

"Find our own?" Duo shouted, incredulously.

"Yes Duo, is that a problem?" Sally glared.

Duo sat back down and shook his head. "No Ma'am."

"Good." Sally stood up and frowned. "I suggest you browse that file and then prepare for your trip. Each of you will travel in pairs around town to collect clothes and the essential items you will need while away. I do not want anyone going anywhere alone. If anyone runs into trouble, I want you to contact me immediately. Is that clear?"

Muttered affirmatives went around the room and Sally nodded. "Good. I'll get to work. The sooner we can get things ready, the better." She finished and left the room.

The remaining friends shared concerned glances to each other before Zechs stood up.

"We should get to work." He turned to Noin. "We're going to need every contact we have."

Noin nodded and also stood. "I'll start making some calls."

"Please, allow me to help. I may have connections that neither of you do." Relena said and joined her brother and sister-in-law. She kissed Heero goodbye and they three were gone.

Heero remained frozen in his chair, anger radiating off his body. Quatre could sense it and it frightened him. He hadn't seen Heero like that since the war ended.

"She'll be fine, Heero. Zechs will watch over her." The blond Arab tried to comfort.

"Hn." Heero grunted and stood, walking to fill his coffee cup.

Wufei was equally sullen as he stood. "It will do us no good to just sit here." He looked at his friends. "We should go and prepare for our journey."

Quatre nodded. "Yes, your right." He stood. "Sally said to travel in pairs so…"

"I need not go." Wufei straightened. "I always carry emergency clothes with me. They are in my office."

Quatre smiled. "Good. Well then that leaves the four of us."

Duo stood and smirked. "Yeah. I'll go with Heero and you can go with Trowa."

Quatre blushed at the smirk and tone of Duo's voice but he didn't argue. He simply followed Trowa out of the office.

Duo bounded over to Heero and linked their arms. "Together again, eh buddy?" He grinned.

Heero rolled his eyes but smirked in spite of himself. He allowed himself to be dragged out of the room by an overly enthusiastic Duo and out of the large double doors. Wufei remained behind. He walked quietly back to his office and sat behind his desk. Zechs was no where to be found and Wufei assumed he had taken up residence in Noin's office, which was just down the hall. Wufei wasn't about to complain, he enjoyed the solitude. Leaning forward, he pulled open the center drawer of his desk. Inside was a small picture frame. The picture was of a young woman with jet black hair and shining pale eyes. Wufei smiled down at the picture. The woman was smiling and seemed to reflect a happiness that few ever found.

"Another day, another mission, Meiran." He smiled and kissed the tips of his fingers before placing them down on the glass. "Wish me luck." He whispered before sliding the picture down into his briefcase.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! And a big thanks goes out to my reviewers: Mousycoon and Espree. Thanks for your reviews guys! Every little bit helps! I'll try to get the next chapter out soon and I'm glad your enjoying the story! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The details of the trip into hiding were dealt with quickly and soon the five ex-pilots found themselves in a black, unmarked van heading into the middle of nowhere. Duo sat with his chin in his hand staring out the window. Heero was next to him with his arms crossed over his chest and staring straight again. The third row of seats held Trowa, on the left, Quatre, in the middle and Wufei on the right. Trowa and Wufei were both silently facing the front of the vehicle while Quatre looked from one pilot to the next. None of the pilots were allows to sit up front in case of snipers. The back seats were the only ones tinted and bullet-proof.

"This will be okay, guys. You'll see. I'm sure Zechs and Noin will figure this out in no time." Quatre smiled.

Wufei huffed. "I hope you're right, Winner. I have important matters to attend to and hiding like a coward is not one of them."

Duo chuckled. "Oh cheer up Wuffers!" He smirked and turned around in his seat to face the stoic pilot. "It'll be like old times! Remember when we used to hide out together during the war? It'll be great!"

"Easy for you to say." Heero grumbled.

Trowa sighed. "I'm sure Relena will be well taken care of, Heero. You don't need to be so concerned."

"When your lover is pregnant, Trowa, then you can tell me not to worry." Heero huffed without turning around.

Trowa lowered his gaze. There was no point arguing with him when he was like this, but he also couldn't disagree. If Cathy was pregnant, he would be worried as well, and Cathy was only his sister. Duo glanced at Trowa and smirked.

"Aww, don't let ol' Hee-chan get to you, Trow! He's really just a big teddy bear!" He teased.

Heero glared at him but quickly turned back to the front. Duo smirked. He loved getting to Heero, and since the war ended he found it was much easier. Relena had really done Heero good, she got him to be normal. Duo liked the new Heero much better than the callous one he knew during the war.

The house was miles and miles outside of civilization along the coast of a very ragged bay. The road was rough getting to it and the beach was very rocky.

"How mmuchch looongger?" Duo rattled as the van jumped along the rocky path.

As though in answer to his question, the van stopped. The driver turned around and smirked at them. "You walk from here. There's no way the van can get down the cliff." He said.

Wufei raised a brow. "Cliff?"

The man pointed to the front and the five men followed his finger. In front of them was a very steep cliff over looking a rather unfriendly looking ocean.

"We're living in the water?" Wufei snarled.

The driver shook his head. "Naw, there's a hut at the foot of the cliff. It's built into the cave and very well hidden."

"What about high tide?" Heero asked skeptically.

"It's already high tide. It won't reach the house. In fact, when the tide is in, the water stops about a foot from the front door."

"What about sea storms? And Wind?" Quatre asked, climbing out of the van.

"The front section of the house is equipped with a storm wall. If the weather starts to get really bad, you can just close the wall and it'll block out any water that will get into the house."

"Hmph." Heero grunted and followed the others out.

"Looks like Sally thought of everything." Duo shrugged.

The five ex-pilots watched as the van pulled slowly away from them, rattling along the rocks. Duo sighed and swung his bag over his shoulder.

"Well, no since waiting around here." He turned to his friends. "Let's go find home."

The five of them walked to the edge of the cliff and peered over. It was much further down than they first anticipated, though the driver was right about one thing, the water didn't reach the house that was barely visible inside the cliff face. Quatre turned to his friends and smiled.

"Guess we go down?"

Duo nodded and held his bag over the edge. "No since in making this harder." He dropped the bag and they watched it fall. It landed just in front of the door and Duo smirked before throwing his leg over the edge and began climbing down. The others followed suit and soon they were all standing in front of the tiny hut door. Heero reached forward and pushed the door open. The inside was bigger than it looked from the outside. It seemed that the whole house was built inside the rock. The living room was small but cozy with a large fluffy couch made of brown leather, two arm chairs that matched, a large floor rug with red and gold swirls covering most of the floor and various paintings along the walls.

"What no T.V.?" Duo cried, outraged.

The hut had a small kitchen with several different appliances spread along the counters, a small fridge and oven, and a large pantry. The living room had four doorways. Three went to bedrooms that were empty except for the bed and more paintings and the fourth led to a dining room that the table took up most of the space of.

"Well…guess this is home." Duo said with a sigh.

Quatre nodded. "Well, I suppose we should decide who is sleeping where."

"I get my own room." Heero stated.

Wufei glared and opened his mouth to speak with Duo covered it. He leaned in and whispered into Wufei's ear. "Just let him. He's nothing without Relena and I think he would rather be alone."

Wufei steamed but nodded. Aloud he said, "Very well, Yuy. Take your bedroom."

Heero nodded and carried his bag into the only room on the right side of the hut.

"I will take this room." Wufei pointed to the second bedroom on the left.

Quatre nodded. "And I'll take-"

"The room with Wufei." Trowa interrupted.

Quatre, Duo and Wufei turned to look at Trowa in shock.

"T-Trowa?" Quatre asked nervously.

Trowa's expression remained neutral and he shrugged. "You always say that you like your privacy and so does Wufei. I think you'd make fine roommates. You wouldn't bother each other."

Quatre seemed strangely horrified and nervous but Duo shrugged. "He has a point, Quat."

Quatre turned his eyes on Wufei silently asking his permission. Wufei stared into frightened Prussian blue eyes for what seemed like eternity before nodded. "Come along, Winner." He said before entering his bedroom.

Quatre sighed in relief before picking up his bag and following Wufei. Duo turned to Trowa and smirked.

"Guess that leave us together!"

Trowa nodded and walked silently into the bedroom. Duo followed and closed the door behind him.

"Okay, you want to tell me what that was all about now?" Duo accused, crossing his arms over his chest.

Trowa paused in the middle of placing his clothes in the small dresser along the wall and turned to Duo. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Duo smirked. "Why did you shove Quatre into Wufei's room like that?"

Trowa shrugged and continued putting his clothes away. "Did you want to room with him?"

Duo laughed. "I don't care either way. But you seemed awfully egger to get Quat to room with Wufei." Then he chuckled and leaned against the closed door. "Oh maybe you were egger to room with me." He winked seductively and then chuckled.

Trowa flushed inwardly but didn't show it. He sighed and turned to Duo. "If I tell you something, you must promise never to speak it allowed again."

Duo raised a brow. "Sure thing, Trow."

Trowa moved closer to Duo and lowered his voice to barely over a whisper. "Quatre has begun to develop feelings for Wufei."

Duo's eyes widened and he gasped. Trowa quickly covered his mouth with his hand and leaned in closer so his breath tickled Duo's neck.

"You mustn't say anything. Quatre is very unsure about himself at the moment. I just thought it would be good to force them together so Quatre can get over his awkwardness around Wufei."

Duo nodded his understanding and Trowa backed away. "You must not tell him that you know."

Duo smirked. "Of course not. All I've ever wanted for either of them was happiness. If they can find it in each other, then that's great!"

Trowa smiled and nodded. "Good." He turned and continued stuffing his clothes into the dresser.

Duo smiled and heaved his bag up onto the single bed. This brain connected and he blinked. Single bed? He looked closer at the room that surrounded him. The walls were covered with a soft blue wallpaper with a small dresser in the corner and the bed in the center. The bed was small, maybe a double, and covered in a blue quilted bedspread with pale blue pillows and sheets. He looked up at Trowa and swallowed.

"Guess we're sharing the bed?" He asked.

Trowa placed the remainder of his clothes in the drawer and turned to Duo. "I guess so." He looked over the bed. "It seems to be big enough to fit us both."

Duo nodded and eyed the bed. _Brilliant Sally. Let's make the ex-pilots sleep in the same bed. Just brilliant. _Duo inwardly cursed as he began unloading his clothes into the second drawer in the dresser.

* * *

In the other room, Wufei and Quatre were going through a similar dilemma. 

"I can sleep on the couch if you would prefer, Wufei." Quatre offered, feeling awkward.

Wufei sighed and shook his head. "No need, Winner. We are grown men. Besides, it won't be forever."

Quatre frowned inwardly but smiled just the same. "Of course, your right." _It won't be forever?_ Quatre thought sadly. But he _wanted_ it to be forever. He sighed and began loading clothes into the small dresser while Wufei surveyed the room.

"I do hope that Sally has better taste in her own home." Wufei sneered. The walls were covered with pink wallpaper that had an upper boarder of purple flowers. The bedspread was quilted with bright purple, pink and yellow flowers and the pillows had ruffles.

"You know Wufei," Quatre smirked, "you were the one who choose this room." He teased.

Wufei glared and quickly began unpacking his clothes in silence. Quatre smothered a laugh. Wufei hated to be told he was wrong.

* * *

Heero choose not to unpack his clothes. Instead, he sat on the bed and contemplated his situation. He hoped that Zechs and Noin would find their enemy quickly because he had to get back to Relena. She needed him. He sighed and decided to lay down for a rest. It was a very stressful day and he wanted to be able to think calmly. He lay back on the bedspread that was covered with pictures of Goldenrod and daises and sighed. The room was far too cheery for him, but it didn't matter. It was only temporary. He sighed and tried to close his eyes, but his brain wouldn't stop. He was worried about Relena. He wished she was with him so he could watch her. If this man was after the Gundam pilots, who's to say he won't go after the people they were close to? And yes, Relena is a tough girl, but Heero wasn't sure if she could handle herself against a man with a vendetta. She had always had people watching over her in the past…she had always had _him_ watching over her. He sighed in aggravation and rolled over to his side. He had to sleep. It was best given the situation. He knew that he would end up yelling at one of the others if he didn't calm down and he would rather avoid any feelings of unrest since they were to be living with each other. He sighed, and slipped into a very uncomfortable sleep.

* * *

Well, there it is (finally). Chapter 4! I just want to thank Demain Matin for your reveiw. I appreciate the support! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll try to get the next one out to you soon. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The next few hours passed without much excitement. The men finished unpacking their few belongings into the designated rooms and Quatre and Wufei decided to venture into the kitchen in search of something to cook for dinner while Duo and Trowa sat in the living room discussing their current situation.

"If this man has escaped from prison and wants us dead, wouldn't he suspect we would go into hiding?" Duo ventured, sitting on the arm of the couch.

"We can't be certain until something happens." Trowa replied sitting next to Duo. "We know nothing about this man or his motives. For all we know it could be a hoax."

"Some hoax." Duo muttered stood. "If Sally wanted us to come here then it's gotta be serious."

Trowa shrugged. "Perhaps. But we also know that Sally worries. It may be nothing but a precaution."

"Hmm," Duo sighed and paced the living room floor. "I don't know. Sally's not exactly the type to panic over nothing and that look in her eyes when she told us…I don't know. I just got a strange feeling that this is more serious than everyone thinks it is."

Trowa nodded. "All we can do is keep our guard up and try to stay out of sight until Zechs and Noin get to the bottom of this."

"Yeah…Humph." Duo grunted and collapsed into the arm chair in frustration. "I hate being locked up in here. I feel like I should be doing something to help."

Trowa nodded. "I understand. I feel the same way. However, I think we should humor Sally. At least for the time being."

Duo nodded. "Yeah. I guess you're right." He stood up. "Hey!" He shouted into the kitchen. "Do you guys need help?"

A loud crash echoed into the living room from the small kitchen and Trowa and Duo exchanged a glance; shortly after a rather flushed Quatre emerged holding a large metal cookie sheet.

"Quat? You okay?" Duo asked.

The small blond nodded. "Yes. We found a rat and…well…" His flush increased and he bowed his head.

Trowa smiled and stood up. "Don't worry, Little One. I understand." He smiled and embraced Quatre in a brotherly hug.

Quatre chuckled in embarrassment and looked up at Trowa. "Thanks…we found some pasta and a few vegetables so Wufei is going to make some stir fry for us."

"Are you not helping?" Trowa asked in a soothing voice.

Quatre smiled shyly and shook his head. "I'm only getting in the way." He sheepishly made his way to his room. "I think I'm just going to read." He said before disappearing into the small room and closing the door.

Trowa sighed.

"Man, he just can't go one day without that attitude!" Duo exclaimed and marched into the kitchen.

"Duo, wait." Trowa called but it was too late. Duo entered the kitchen and found Wufei adding pasta to the boiling water.

"You just can't stand it, can you Chang?"

Wufei looked up at Duo and raised a brow.

"You just have to be Mister Independent, don't you?" Duo continued.

"What are you talking about Maxwell?" Wufei growled.

"You just can't accept help can you? Not even for dinner. Nope, Chang Wufei has to do everything for himself. He just…" Duo trailed off and drooped backwards into Trowa's arms.

Trowa sighed and released Duo's pressure point and looked up at Wufei.

"He must be tired." Trowa said.

Wufei nodded with a questioning look on his face. "Perhaps he should be taken to bed."

Trowa nodded and lifted Duo easily in his arms and carried him into the bedroom they shared. He laid him down on the bed and carefully tucked the blankets around him.

"You really need to learn to control your outbursts, Duo." He said to the sleeping form before leaving the room.

* * *

Quatre lay on his stomach on the bed with a book stretched out before him. Written on he cover, in sharp gold letters, were the words _The House of Mirth_. 

_Ironic, _Quatre thought, _because this book is nothing but happy._

He was just getting through chapter five when the door creaked open. He looked up and saw Wufei enter and close the door behind him.

"Wufei?" Quatre asked, sitting up.

"Winner, I require your assistance in the kitchen." He said quickly.

Quatre raised a brow and Wufei decided to amend his statement.

"I would like your assistance in the kitchen. I could use some help with the vegetables."

Quatre smiled warmly and nodded. "Alright." He stood and placed the book on top of the dresser before following Wufei into the kitchen. "Where are Trowa and Duo? He asked observing the empty living room.

"Maxwell had…an episode."

Quatre's eyes widened and he turned to Wufei. "An episode? Is he okay?"

"Yes, Barton is seeing to him. You needn't worry."

Quatre nodded and continued to follow after stealing a glance at the closed door leading to Trowa and Duo's room. Without exchanging another word, Quatre walked over to the counter top and began cutting vegetables while Wufei watched over the pasta and readied the rest of the meal. The kitchen was silent except the sounds of the cutting and stirring.

"Wufei?" Quatre asked.

Wufei turned to him while dumping more vegetables into his simmering sauce.

"Why did you change your mind?" The blond looked into the dark eyes of the Chinese man with question. "About needing help I mean."

Wufei stared into the soft blue eyes of the blond for a moment, formulating an answer before turning back to the dish. "I realized I was being foolish."

Quatre raised a brow. He hadn't expected that. "Foolish?"

Wufei nodded and continued to stir. "We are in a situation that could prove to be very dangerous. Often times…during the war, I mean…I never accepted, or even asked for, help from anyone and I ended up in more trouble than I intended. I reminded myself that I could handle it and never thought on the matter again. I…realized that if I end up in trouble this time, it's not only my life at stake but all of yours as well." He stopped stirring and turned to Quatre. "Dinner is as good a place as any to start trusting."

Quatre smiled warmly and nodded. "Yes it is."

Wufei bowed his head respectfully before turning back to the food. The two cooked together in silence, only this time, it wasn't an uncomfortable silence; this time they were surrounded with the feeling of friendship.

**

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Okay, there's chapter five. I'm sooo sorry that it took so long to get out. I'm been sooo busy with life. Anyway, thanks so much to my reviewer Demain Matin. I really appreciate the support. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Heero emerged from his room just as the others were sitting down for dinner. Quatre smiled when he walked in.

"Heero! We were wondering about you." He patted the empty couch seat next to him. "Come and have something to eat."

Heero nodded respectfully and went into the kitchen. The others exchanged worried glances.

"He'll be okay." Quatre whispered, answering the question everyone was thinking.

Heero returned with a plate full of food and sat next to Quatre and began to eat in silence. The room was heavy with tension. Heero's presence seemed to darken everyone's mood. He could sense it and he looked up, his eyes meeting those of his friends.

"I'm sorry." He said finally.

Duo blinked. "For what, Hee-chan?"

Heero sighed and looked down at his food. "You were happier when I was in my room. I know, I heard you laughing and talking."

The others exchanged guilty glances and Quatre leaned forward. "We're sorry, Heero, if you think this is your fault. It's not. You have much more to loose in this situation than the rest of us do. We understand."

Heero shook his head, never looking up from his plate. "You can't understand." Quatre turned to the others slightly started before looking back at Heero. He opened his mouth to speak but Heero continued. "Relena needs me. What if this psycho goes after her too?"

"Relena is strong, Heero. She'll be alright." Trowa comforted.

Heero nodded. "Yes, she is strong." He looked up. "But I should be there to watch over her. It's my responsibility."

"You're sense of honor is encouraging, Yuy." Wufei said. "But this is one moment that I believe Sally is right."

The stoic brunette sighed and hung his head. "I know…"

Quatre frowned and leaned back against the chair, his spirit feeding off of Heero's sadness. "We can only hope that Zechs and Noin find something sooner rather than later."

Heero nodded and looked up, his eyes catching the setting sun out the front window. "I'm going to bed." He stood and walked his mostly untouched plate into the kitchen before retreating to his room.

The others watched him go in silence and sighed when he shut the door.

"He sure is taking this hard." Duo said sadly.

The others nodded. Quatre stood up and yawned. "Heero may be right though. We've had a rough day. And I think it would be a good idea if we scout the landscape tomorrow so we should get a good nights rest tonight."

Trowa stood and nodded. "I agree. It's better if we learn our surroundings before we're found out."

"If we're found out." Duo chuckled and stood. "Sally did such a good job at hiding this place that I doubt even we would have found it if she hadn't given us a map."

The four men placed the plates in the very small sink and Trowa and Duo washed and dried them while Quatre and Wufei went to bed. Quatre had never felt more nervous in his life. He dug through the dresser and pulled out a pair of light blue sweats and hesitated. Usually he slept shirtless, but did he want to chance it now?

"Excuse me, Winner." Wufei said standing with his arms crossed.

Quatre started and moved away from the dresser…without a shirt. He blushed at the thought of being in bed with Wufei without a shirt. He blushed even darker when he thought of being in bed with Wufei with even less on…He shook his head, trying to banish that thought as he pulled his shirt over his head.

"Are you alright, Winner?"

Quatre blushed and turned to see Wufei looking at him strangely. He had already changed into a pair of silk pajama pants and shimmered a soft green and he wasn't wearing a shirt. Quatre felt his pulse increase and he had to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat.

"I…I'm fine." He tried his hand at a smile, but he wasn't sure if it was successful.

Wufei eyed him carefully for a moment before sitting on the bed. Quatre sighed inwardly and continued undressing. He hesitated when he was down to his pants. Did he really want Wufei to know that he wore tighty-whities? Would he laugh? Surely not, this was Wufei; Straight-faced Wufei. Nervously, Quatre lowered his pants and quickly replaced them with his sweats. He heard a shuffling behind him and when he turned found Wufei lying on his side facing the wall. Quatre suddenly felt panicked. Did he turn away when he saw Quatre without clothes? We he really that disgusted that he just couldn't look at him anymore? Quatre debated leaving the room and sleeping on the couch, but decided he'd rather avoid the piercing stare of Trowa in the morning. He sighed and climbed in the bed, trying his best to not touch Wufei, which was difficult in the small double sized bed, and fell into an uneasy sleep.

When his breathing finally regulated, Wufei sighed with relief. He turned slightly and looked at Quatre, to make sure he really was a sleep. He watched his chest rise and fall slowly and he smiled. He lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling. What was wrong with him? Why was he feeling so heated? He glanced at Quatre again and the feeling grew even more intense. He could feel himself growing aroused at the memory of Quatre wearing nothing but his briefs. He hoped he didn't come across as rude when he turned, but he just couldn't let Quatre see his growing arousal; it was far too embarrassing.

Why did he feel like this? He hadn't felt this way about another person since Meiran died; he wouldn't let himself. But why Quatre? What was it about Quatre that made him feel this way? With Meiran, it was her strength. He admired and loved her determination, and she was very beautiful. He smiled thinking of her. He turned and looked at Quatre. Quatre was strong too; stronger than Wufei had originally thought. After all, Quatre was able to handle the Zero System; Maybe not as well as Heero, but did handle it.

Wufei traced the curves of Quatre's face with his eyes; across his jaw line, down his neck, over his bare chest. Wufei felt himself harden. Quatre really was beautiful. He hadn't really noticed before. Why hadn't he noticed? He lay on his back again and sighed. He had to calm himself down. This just wouldn't do. What would Quatre think if he saw? For some reason the thought of being caught in the act only aroused Wufei even more. He absentmindedly began rubbing himself through the silk pants. An involuntary moan escaped his lips and he closed his eyes. He pictured Quatre – smiling, happy Quatre – in a heavy sweat lying next to him, his hair tussled and his eyes thick with passion. Wufei began openly stroking himself as he imagined Quatre's moans of pleasure and what it would be like to hold him in his arms.

Another moan escaped him as he climaxed, leaving a wet sticky mess in his pants. He sighed in relief and turned to Quatre. He hadn't moved an inch. He really was beautiful. Wufei couldn't deny it any more. He smiled softly and sighed. Satisfied that he hadn't been caught, and slightly embarrassed that he couldn't control himself, he rolled over, his back to Quatre, and fell asleep.

* * *

Trowa and Duo finished the dishes and placed them back in their place in the cupboard before finding their way through the dark house to their rooms. The house had no electricity and the only lanterns were the ones in the bedrooms. As soon as Duo shut the door, Trowa lit the small light and hung it on the hook next to the door. Duo looked at him curiously and he shrugged. 

"Just so we can get ready for bed easier. I'll blow it out before we go to sleep." He explained.

Duo nodded and made his way to the dresser. He groaned inwardly at the thought of wearing clothes while sleeping. Usually he slept without. Finally he pulled out a pair of loose black pants and walked over to the other corner of the room. Trowa also pulled out a pair of pants along with a white button down the front shirt. He turned towards Duo and pulled his shirt over his head. Duo watched for a moment in indifference before he too began to pull his clothes off. Trowa climbed into the bed just as Duo was pulling his pants on. Duo paused, thinking.

_This isn't going to be easy…_He thought.

He sat on the bed and wiggled around trying to pull his underwear off without moving his pants. He hated sleeping in underwear; it was so uncomfortable. Trowa watched in amused silence as Duo struggled with his underwear. Finally he managed to pull them off and then collapsed on the bed. Trowa chuckled and fluffed his pillow. Duo turned to him.

"Hey, that's not as easy as it looks, okay?" He complained.

Trowa smirked. "Wouldn't it have been easier to just remove your pants and underwear at the same time and then replace the pants?"

Duo thought about it and paused. "I…guess…" He glared at Trowa. "Shut up!" He shouted and rolled over, facing the wall with a pout on his face.

Trowa rolled his eyes and chuckled as he too rolled over and feel asleep with the amusing antics of Duo dancing through his mind.

Duo berated himself next to Trowa for several seconds. Why didn't he just pull off his pants? It's not like he has anything that Trowa's never seen. Hell, he used to do it a lot during the war. He never cared before. Why did he now? His eyes widened for a split second before he composed himself.

_No, that couldn't be the reason…_He thought. He turned and watched Trowa's steady breathing. _But it makes since…_He rolled back over and sighed. _I guess she means more to me than I thought…_

* * *

Silence echoed through the tiny house as the pilots slept. Outside, the gently crashing of the ocean against the shore rocked the ex-pilots to sleep and resonated in their dreams. Had the war been going on, all five men would have been sleeping with one eye opened; ready for a sudden attempt on their lives. But now they all slept peacefully and deeply; Heero with nightmares of a hurt Relena; Quatre with visions of Wufei; Wufei with fantasies of Quatre; Duo with dreams of his perfect match; and Trowa with visions a struggling Duo. If only one of them noticed the dark figure standing on the cliff just above the house…

* * *

**Okay, finally a little intruige! I know the story's been a bit slow but this is about the point that it's going to pick up a bit. I hope you're all enjoying it so far and I would love to hear your comments. Thanks! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Screaming filled the air and the copper-like smell of blood was overwhelming. Heero knelt on the floor cradling Relena in his arms. She was bleeding from the stomach and her soft green eyes were filled with pain. Heero felt the tears running down his cheeks as he held her close.

"Heero…" She whispered.

"Shh," He hushed. "Don't talk. You'll be fine." His voice sounded foreign to him, as though someone were speaking through him.

She smiled sadly. "I love you Heero…" A coughing fit silenced her and suddenly she was still.

Heero sat bolt upright holding his gun towards the silent door. He was breathing heavily and his body was drenched in sweat. He could still feel the tears on his cheeks. He slowly lowered the gun and looked down at his lap. Another nightmare; he couldn't live like this. He had a very bad feeling that Relena was in danger; that Sally was trying to protect the wrong people.

He shook his head and sighed. Tucking his gun back underneath his pillow, he stood and walked to the door. Maybe a glass of warm milk would help him sleep. He opened the door and walked into the darkened living room. A soft thud made him look up just in time to see the front door closing silently. Heero's war instincts flared up and he ran to the door throwing it open. A shadowy figure could be seen running along the beach. Heero glared and ran back into his room. He threw his pillow to the floor. Palming his gun, he turned and bolted back out of the door letting it slam noisily behind him hoping it would awaken the other pilots.

The figure was just disappearing around a large pile of rock when Heero left the house. He cocked his gun while he ran, hoping to catch whoever had found them. Part of his brain screamed that it was just a tourist who got lost and was just exploring, but his gut told him that wasn't the case. The door closed far too quietly to be anything but purposeful and besides, who would enter a house built into a cliff face without a goal in mind? Heero turned the corner and froze, his gun pointing forward. The figure was gone and nothing but the sound of the waves could be heard. Heero remained frozen on the spot, his ever watchful eyes searching. When nothing moved for half and hour, he finally sighed and relaxed. He cursed himself for letting the figure go and silently trudged back to the safe house.

Heero opened the front door and before his foot could land on the inner wooden floor, Duo had tackled him.

"Heero, are you alright? What's going on? We heard a slam."

Heero pushed Duo off and closed the door. He collapsed on one of the arm chairs to catch his breath and looked up at his friends. All of them had a worried look and Heero almost felt bad to tell them what he saw. He turned to Trowa, who was known for being the most responsible out of them all.

"Call Sally." Trowa didn't argue, he rushed back to his room to find his cell phone. Heero turned to Wufei next. "Activate lock down." Wufei could hear the urgency in his voice so he didn't argue either. Instead he ran to the front wall and smashed the large red button. The noisy blast doors began to close and the other pilots stared worriedly at Heero. Trowa returned and started dialing once the doors had closed. He turned to Heero with the phone pressed to his ear.

"What do I tell her?"

Heero sighed and turned back to the closed metal doors. "Tell her…we have a problem."

Heero explained what he saw to the others while Trowa relayed the message to Sally. After a few silent minutes that were interrupted every now and then with a "yes ma'am" or "no ma'am" from Trowa, the tall circus performer hung up the phone and turned back to his friends. Quatre looked nervously over at his friend.

"What did she say?" The small blond asked.

Trowa sighed and sat down. "She said we should remain under lockdown until they can get a team here. She's already preparing our next safe house."

The others nodded silently and Heero stared down at his bare feet. The night wind had nearly frozen them, but that wasn't what he was thinking of. He was wondering what that figure could have wanted. If his hunch was right, and it usually was, that figure was Reigo DeNadda; but if that was true, why didn't he just kill them while they slept? If they were all such easy targets, why not just finish them off? Quatre could sense Heero's confusion and sat down on the couch and looked at him.

"You're wondering why he didn't just kill us." It wasn't a question.

Over the years Heero had grown accustomed to Quatre's "way of knowing" and only nodded his head. "If he had us all asleep, why didn't he just finish it?" He turned to Quatre. "I don't like it."

Quatre nodded and sighed. "Neither do I." He leaned back and looked at the others. "But I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of him."

**

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Well, there's chapter seven! Thanks again to Demain Matin. I totally appreciate the reveiw! I hope everyone is enjoying the story because the good stuff is just beginning! Enjoy!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The morning went by in silence and discomfort. All of the friends were worried about their nightly visitor and all were on edge waiting for Sally to relocate them. No one spoke and most spent their time in solitude, playing and replaying the night through their heads.

Duo sat on the bed he shared with Trowa with his eyes focused on the quilted pattern of the comforter. He wasn't really looking at it but it helped him to concentrate when he focused on something. Duo was trying to remember if he had heard anything during the night.

_Let's see…Trowa and I got into bed after we finished the dishes...I changed…_He chuckled. _Or should I say that Trowa made fun of me for changing. _He shook his head as he remembered Trowa's teasing. Shaking his head hard, he tried for focus on the comforter again. _Okay, back to real…let's see…I laid down and thought about…about her._ Duo smiled. Again his thoughts wandered and the face of Catherine Bloom entered his mind. Duo and Cathy had been on only three dates but they had all been wonderful in Duo's mind. They hadn't told anyone because they weren't sure if what they were feeling was real. Duo, on the other hand, had known since day one that he was in love. In fact, he was planning on telling her that when Sally ordered him into hiding. He sighed and thought about Trowa. He still hadn't told him about his feelings for Cathy. He didn't want to mention it until he had spoken with her but now he was in very close quarters with him and it was tearing him up inside. Trowa was his good friend and he couldn't stand it that he couldn't tell him.

Again he shook his head hard. He had to focus. _I fell asleep thinking of her…and then that dream…_Duo's dream filled his mind as though it had only just happened. He was laying on the bed…his bed; the one back in his apartment. He was on the bed and there was someone standing in the corner. He couldn't see who at first, but he wasn't afraid. He sat up and looked closer. It was Catherine. She was smiling and wearing the most beautiful red dress. It clung to her curves and left very little to the imagination. She approached Duo and held out her hand. Duo took it and stood. Suddenly he was no longer in his bedroom but a fancy ballroom. Looking down at himself he realized he was in a tux and they were dancing. They danced for what seemed like ages. Finally he stopped her and kissed her. Suddenly the ballroom had vanished and they were back in his bedroom. He was on top of her; kissing her; holding her; until she flipped him over and began to do the most wonderful things with her mouth. Duo felt himself growing hard at the memory. The more he thought about it the more it seemed to scare him. In his dream, Cathy had brought him to climax. Duo had awoken during his orgasm. At the time, he hadn't thought much of it and quickly went back to sleep, but now Duo was concerned. He jumped off the bed and ran to his side. He quickly removed the blankets and searched. Nothing. It was clean. When Heero had slammed the front door and woke him up, his body was clean. There were no signs of a wet dream. If there were, his sweat pants would have been sticky.

Duo gasped and suddenly felt faint. He realized that when he woke mid-orgasm that his pants had been removed. Never in his life had be removed his pants in his sleep so why would he now? Frightened and still slightly confused, Duo leapt from the bed and burst through the bedroom door to find Trowa was sitting on the couch with Quatre while Wufei and Heero were in the kitchen. At the sound of Duo's outburst, Wufei and Heero walked into the living room and stared at him quizzically.

Duo opened his mouth to speak but he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. After all, he hadn't figured anything out; he only noticed something strange; something that could prove to be very embarrassing. He paused and looked at the confused eyes looking at him and then sighed. He relaxed and moved to sit in one of the arm chairs. Wufei and Heero exchanged puzzled glances and then returned to the kitchen. Quatre glanced at Trowa before clearing his throat.

"Are…you okay, Duo?" He asked.

Duo smirked and shrugged. "Yeah. Sorry, thought I remembered something. But it's nothing."

Quatre smiled warmly and nodded while Trowa raised a brow. It was obvious that Duo wasn't about to talk about it so neither of the men wanted to ask. Instead, Trowa stood up and stretched his arms over his head.

"I think I'm going to take a nap until breakfast." He turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. His plan was that Quatre would be able to get something out of Duo and he would have a better chance of doing that if they were alone. Trowa turned into the room after closing the door and noticed the bed covers were thrown around. He raised a brow and glanced back at the closed door where he knew Duo was sitting. Turning back to the bed Trowa noticed it was only Duo's side that was pulled apart.

"What was he doing?" Trowa muttered to himself. He shrugged it off, silently hoped that Quatre would get it out of him, and lay down on his side of the bed. Just as he lay down he suddenly became panicked. If Duo was looking through the bed then did he see… Trowa stood and carefully pulled his own covers back to survey his side of the bed. Clean. He sighed and lay back down.

_Good, last thing I need is to get caught pleasuring myself while watching him sleep. _He sighed and closed his eyes. His thoughts wandered back to the night he spent with Duo. It was magical as far as he was concerned. It had been a long time since the war and in that time Trowa had slowly grown more attracted to Duo. His attraction had grown to something bordering on obsession and Trowa had a hard time controlling himself around the braided man. It was the reason he never joined the Preventors. He wasn't sure he could handle being so close to the man he thought of every night before he went to bed.

His conscious told him he was sick and needed help, but there was another part that still hoped that Duo would return his feelings one day. He sighed again and started to drift off to sleep when something occurred to him. He never cleaned up after himself; how did the bed sheets remain dry? At the very least they should be stiff with the dried semen. He stood and again began to inspect the bed. Still nothing. He stood up and stared at a point on the wall. Could that be what Duo was looking for? But surely not, Duo was sound asleep when Trowa climaxed. But maybe…maybe Duo had a wet dream and…Trowa walked over to Duo's side of the bed and searched it as well. It was dry and very clean.

_Could this be what Duo was worried about?_ Trowa stood again and looked over at the closed door. Why would their sheets be clean? They didn't have any spare ones, and they couldn't have been washed so quickly. _What is going on here?_

* * *

Wufei eventually left Heero and found himself in the sanctuary of his bedroom. His excuse was to get in some meditation before the meal was finished cooking, but in reality he wanted time to think things out. He sat on the bed in a meditative pose and closed his eyes. All night his dreams were filled with visions of Quatre. Yes, he was concerned about the man who wanted them dead, but as far as he was concerned, that issue couldn't be dealt with until Sally arrived for them. Until then, he had to focus on more immediate events. He was humiliated that he had been so aroused that he masturbated while Quatre was in the bed. Why hadn't he been able to control himself? And the rest of the night hadn't been any better. His dreams were full of passion and all of them ended in a climax of some sort. At one point during the night Wufei actually had to change his pants because they were soaking in his release. The thoughts embarrassed him and angered him. He was angry that he lost control and embarrassed at what Quatre might think if he ever found out. What if it happened again tonight? Wufei couldn't let that happen. Not again. 

He opened his eyes and stared at the place Quatre had slept. He pictured the small blond laying peacefully on the bed next to him and he felt himself harden. Why couldn't he control himself? He lay down on his stomach with his face in Quatre's pillow. It was still full of Quatre's sent and Wufei found himself reveling in the smell. The smell of the pillow reminded Wufei of his dreams. That smell surrounded him in his dreams and he found himself growing harder. Quatre was under him; Wufei was in control and Quatre didn't mind. When Wufei had climaxed in bed, he woke to feel it spatter across his chest. At the time he was too tired to clean it and too aroused to care of Quatre caught him.

Suddenly Wufei sat bolt upright and jerked his head over to his side of the bed. He never cleaned his chest up; yet, when he awoke, he was clean. Why? He searched the room, looking for something he might have used to clean himself with in his sleep but the only thing that showed signed of sexual climax was his silk pants; and only on the inside. He stood and looked down his nose at the bed. Something was going on and he didn't like it.

* * *

**Okay, there's chapter eight. I realise this chapter might be a little confusing but I promise it'll be explained later. If anyone has any questions you're more than welcome to message me via my profile page. I don't mind answering questions. Anyway, I hope you're all enjoying the story! Happy Reading! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Duo was very troubled with his revelation. How could he not sense someone next to him? Five years of peace had dulled his senses. Not having to look over his shoulder at every turn had slowly sunk in and now when he needed those senses the most…they were gone. Part of him hated the person he had become; but the rest of him argued that it was better this way.

_If things had continued on as before you never would have had the time to see Cathy. _He sighed. It was true. He had only started to notice Cathy when the war was over. And even then it took him three years to admit it to himself (and another two before he had the courage to ask her out). He turned in the lounge chair he was sitting in and glanced over at Trowa, who was on the couch. He thought he saw Trowa's head jerk down to his lap, but when he rubbed his eyes he realized he must have been seeing things. He sighed and turned back to his own lap. He had to tell him…sooner rather than later.

Suddenly he became paranoid. _Maybe I wasn't imagining it. Maybe Trowa really was staring at me! _His eyes widened. _Does he know something? Did I call her name out in my sleep? Surely not…I've never done that before…that I know of. But then…_He glanced again, this time without turning his head. Sure enough, Trowa was staring at him. He looked back into his lap. _He must know something. I said something in my sleep. I must have. _Thinking about his dreams brought him back to the matter at hand. Who cleaned up after him? _Maybe no one. If I can't remember calling her name out then maybe I don't remember cleaning up. It's possible isn't it? _He frowned and slumped further into the chair.

Trowa watched Duo carefully. He didn't mean to stare, but he was concerned for Duo. He seemed nervous about something. Trowa wished he knew what it was. He wanted to help if he could. It was rare that Duo's true feelings were displayed so openly and ever since his outburst into the living room he had been acting very odd. Trowa was beginning to get worried.

Just then, Duo turned and Trowa immediately dropped his gaze back to the magazine in his lap. His brow was sweating when he felt Duo's eyes on him. Finally the feeling left him and he glanced back up. Duo was looking away again. He sighed. He hadn't realized he had been staring but when Duo moved he was suddenly reminded. He had to stop this. What if he scared Duo away? He watched Duo sink into his chair and noticed a small strand of hair fall from his braid and covered his left eye. That always happened when he was troubled. It wasn't that his hair fell _because_ he was troubled; it was that he never bothered to move it when he was troubled.

Trowa chuckled to himself. Why did he know Duo's physical attributes so well and yet he was so afraid to speak to him? _Dreamer…not a doer. _His mind told him. This thought was humorous to him. During the war he had always been the doer. When the war ended he lost that trait. He knew that they all had trouble adjusting to "normal life" but he always felt like he didn't belong out of uniform. He remained in the circus only because Cathy was there. He considered joining the Preventors but he hated the idea of paperwork. He was afraid that he didn't belong anywhere but in war, so he turned to dreams. Dreaming helped him to escape and feel wanted – needed – and still remain in the "real world".

He smiled as his dreams returned to him. Most of them involved Duo. _Like last night…_His mind wandered to his visions of Duo lying panting beneath him. He could feel himself reacting at the thought and chuckled. Thinking of his dream, his mind found itself landing on the unusual occurrence of that night. He still wasn't sure what to think about his mysterious clean up. He had a hard time believing that it was foul play; it was just too ridicules. _I must have fallen asleep and got up later in the night to wash up. _It wasn't unusual for him to wake in the middle of the night and shower. It was like a ritual for him. He nodded to himself. _That must have been what happened._ He smiled and continued to read his magazine.

Wufei was less eager to believe that the events of the previous night were anything but suspicious. He wasn't sure what anyone would want with a man's semen, but he didn't like it. The idea sickened him, to be honest. The idea that someone who he didn't know had not only seen him nude, but had touched him and taken the object that belonged to only the one he was to be with for eternity. It angered him and although he couldn't explain it, he didn't trust it. The only problem was, he wasn't sure how to resolve the issue. He couldn't tell the others – A civilized person did not discuss sexual intimacy with anyone but a lover – but he could hardly keep it to himself.

_Speak with Quatre. _His inner voice told him. He had to admit the idea was intriguing. He shook his head quickly. He couldn't. The very idea was absurd. Quatre was the one person he couldn't tell; above all others, he couldn't mention anything to Quatre. He sighed and walked out of his bedroom to start making dinner. He decided that he would tell no one, but be sure and keep his eyes out for anything suspicious.

After the possible break in, Heero was constantly on the phone with Sally.

"What do you mean you don't know?" He shouted into the phone. Quatre and Trowa exchanged worried glances as they sat together on the couch.

Heero had a habit of wandering around the house when he was on the phone. The madder he got the quicker he walked. Quatre could just picture Sally cringing on the other side of the line. Not many people could stand up to an angry Heero.

"I don't care Sally. I want to know that she's alright." Heero argued as he wandered back into his bedroom.

Quatre sighed and lay his head back against the couch. "I hate just sitting here waiting. I wish there was something we could do to help."

Trowa nodded and sat his magazine down on the coffee table. "I know, Little One." He turned to Quatre. "I'm sure it will be resolved soon."

Quatre smiled at the comforting words but he didn't seem convinced. Duo smirked and stood. "Well, I'm feeling pretty much worthless in here." It was then that Wufei decided to reemerge from his bedroom and started into the kitchen. Duo bounded over to him excitedly.

"Hey Wufers! Need help with dinner?"

Wufei grumbled but didn't object so Duo cheered and followed him into the kitchen. Quatre smiled at the exchange and watched the figures disappear. Trowa smirked and watched Quatre's face. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned his eyes back to his lap.

"So, any progress?"

Quatre turned to Trowa with a puzzled expression. "Progress?"

Trowa closed his eyes. "Have you confessed?"

Quatre blushed a deep red. He turned his gaze to his knees and twiddled his fingers. "Well…I…sorta…"

Trowa smirked and turned to Quatre. His green eyes spoke words of comfort as he forced Quatre to look up at him. "You need to tell him, Little One."

Quatre looked pleadingly at Trowa. "How? How can I? What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if I scare him away?"

Trowa smiled warmly. "Sometimes that's a chance you have to take. If you're not willing to take the risk for love then what will you take it for?"

Quatre sighed and looked down. "I know…you're right, Trowa. I just…" He turned and listened to the bickering of Wufei and Duo.

"Maxwell, that is a skillet not a pot." "No, I need the other one. No watch out!" BAM "Maxwell, put the spaghetti down!"

The small blond smiled. He loved the sound of Wufei's voice. He turned back to Trowa. "I'll try. But it will have to wait till tonight, when we're alone. I…I can't…"

Trowa placed his hand over Quatre's. "I understand. It's okay. It's better if you're alone anyway. More intimate." He smiled.

Quatre returned the smile and suddenly lunged forward. He hugged Trowa tightly. "Oh thank you Trowa. You're such a wonderful friend." He exclaimed and got up, trotting happily into his bedroom.

Trowa watched him go and then sighed. _Why can't I follow my own advice? _He stood and left the room. He was beginning to go stir crazy and decided he would do a few stretches in his room to break up the monotony.

* * *

Dinner that night was chicken (which Duo burned) and cob salad (which Duo didn't wash properly so it tasted odd). Wufei spent most of the meal complaining about Duo's cooking ability. 

"Hey, it's not my fault you don't give good instruction!" Duo complained.

Wufei sent a look across the table that made the others cringe. It was the first time any of them could remember Duo shutting his mouth and keeping closed for the rest of the meal. Satisfied that he won, Wufei ate with a slightly more enthusiastic mood (of course, enthusiastic for Wufei just meant he wore a half smile/half smirk during the conversation). The ex-pilots were still on edge about their enemy, but they all decided that the last thing they needed was a panic.

During a pause in the conversation, Heero's vid-phone rang. He stood quickly and clicked it on. Sally's face appeared on the screen and she did not seem to be in a good mood.

"Sally…" Heero said and sat in front of her. "What is it?"

"I have some news. I'll let you decide if it's good or bad." She started, her voice slightly distorted from the bad signal, "Reigo DeNadda has been spotted ten miles from you're location. We can't be sure if he's fleeing to you or away from you. Either way, he's close and you may be in danger."

"He's already broken in here, Sally. Of course we're in danger." Heero glared.

"Don't get smart, Heero. There's more." She glared back and sighed. "We believe that Reigo expects us to move you. Therefore, we're not going to. You're going to stay there and make sure to put the house in lockdown while you sleep. Only open it up to collect supplies for yourselves and never go anywhere alone. Is that understood?"

The men nodded and her expression lightened some. "We're working on the problem now, guys. I'm sorry it's taking so long." She said and the screen went black.

Heero sighed and turned to his friends. "Just like old times, eh?" He sneered and the others had no choice but to agree.

* * *

**Dun dun DUN! Heh, okay that was chapter nine. I hope you all liked it. I hope to get the next chapter out soon. Sorry it's taking so long. Oh, and just another shout out to Demain Matin for you're review. Thanks a bunch! Well, happy reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

The next few days passed in tensed silence. None of the ex-pilots were in the mood to converse and not even Duo had the motive to talk. Each man did his duty around the house and went to bed with little to no conversation in the process. They were just starting to go stir crazy when Duo pointed out a slight problem.

"We're out of food!" He shouted and his voice echoed through the small house.

Trowa and Quatre turned away from their card game on the couch to stare at him while Wufei and Heero took a time out from their separate training corners to glare.

"Must you shout, Maxwell?" Wufei snarled.

Duo smirked and leaned against the wall. "Well, it got your attention didn't it?"

Wufei rolled his eyes and collapsed his tired body onto the nearest chair. Heero sighed and straightened up, facing Duo.

"What do you mean we're out of food?" He asked calmly.

"Just what I said. The foods gone. We'll have enough for dinner but then that's it."

"We'll need to go and find some." Trowa said placing his cards down.

"I will go." Wufei said and stood.

Trowa nodded. "Take Quatre with you."

Both Wufei and Quatre turned shocked faces to Trowa, who didn't flinch. "Sally said never go anywhere alone. Besides, you'll be able to carry more supplies with more people."

Wufei couldn't argue with his logic. _And maybe if we're alone I will be able to confess my feelings…_He thought.

Similar ideas were running through Quatre's mind but he was much too afraid to vocalize them even to himself. So, with no argument between them, Wufei and Quatre gathered a couple of fishing poles and a few bags and left the house. Wufei was immediately calmed by the sound of the waves crashing up against the shore. He had always loved the oceans and though their situation was less than desirable it was also no exception.

"We'll need to find a calm spot so we can fish." Wufei said.

Quatre nodded and they began slowly walking down the beach, hoping to find a calm bay area. Quatre kept sneaking glances across at Wufei as they walked. He desperately wished he was braver. Maybe then he could just say what he was feeling without feeling fear.

About a mile from the house, Wufei spotted a cave that hung over a small pond. He pointed it out to Quatre and the two made their way over to it. They had to climb a small incline to reach it, but once there, the found it to be an excellent place for fishing. The fish were very active and within the first ten minutes, Wufei had already bagged twenty.

It was a relaxing day with wonderful weather and had the situation been different, Wufei would have found this to be the perfect place to confess his feelings; but for some reason, his tongue was caught in his throat. He looked over at Quatre, who was still fighting the latest fish into the bag. He couldn't help but smile. Quatre really was adorable. It was one of the reasons Wufei was so taken with him. Quatre was unlike anyone he had ever met; strong and intelligent with a child-like quality that was rare from war veterans. _It's now or never Chang!_ He shouted inwardly. He sat up and turned to Quatre and opened his mouth to speak.

"Hey, do you think we could find shell fish on the rock face?" Quatre asked.

Wufei sighed and tried to cover his disappointment. "It would be dangerous in this area to scale the rocks and find them." He said, hoping that would squash Quatre's idea and give him time to speak.

Quatre frowned. "I don't think so." He leaned over the edge of the cliff face and looked down. "See, the tide is going out. As soon as it does we can easily collect some scallops and maybe even some clams and oysters if we're lucky." He turned to Wufei. "Why don't you stay with the fish. I'll grab some while we still can." He smiled and began climbing down the rock.

Wufei wanted to stop him, but he couldn't. He realized the small blond was right. Now would be the best time to collect such creatures and if he distracted him they may loose their chance. Wufei sighed again and continued to tug at his line, reeling in fish after fish, and regretting not talking to Quatre.

A few more hours passed and Wufei noticed the sun going down and the air getting cooler. He pulled in his line and began packing up to go back. He leaned over the edge and spotted Quatre knee deep in water still gathering shell creatures.

"We should be heading back now!" Wufei called.

Quatre paused and looked up with a wave. "Alright! I'll take the beach path back to the house. There's no since in climbing back up now and you shouldn't have to climb down!" He called back.

Wufei wanted to argue again, but he couldn't; again, Quatre was right. Wufei nodded his acceptance and gathered his things before walking carefully back over the rock face. The entire way home his inner thoughts were screaming at him. _Why didn't you tell him? You were there for hours and you didn't say a word! You're an idiot! _Unfortunately for Wufei, he was inclined to agree. He arrived back at the front door just as the sun was dipping under the ocean. He knocked three times and then a forth after a pause and the door opened. Heero frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're awfully late."

Wufei glared. "Do you want to eat or don't you?" He glared back and pushed his way back into the house but stopped halfway when he realized Heero was still staring at him.

"What?" Wufei growled.

Heero's expression had changed. It was laced with concern in the midst of his glare. "Where's Quatre?"

Wufei went pale. "He…hasn't returned?"

Heero shook his head and both men exchanged knowing looks before running out of the house. Wufei took off at light speeds down the path that he knew Quatre would have taken. _How could you have left him alone?_ His inner voices yelled. _You should have stayed together! What if he's hurt? What will you do then? _Wufei ran all the way back to the cliff face with no sign of Quatre. Not even a foot print. Franticly, he began to climb the rock face, perhaps Quatre had changed his mind and wanted to go back the way they had come. He arrived at the mouth of the cave and suddenly felt faint. In the center of the cave was large bag full of shell fish but no Quatre. Sitting on top of the bag was a note with four bright red letters on it:

_The blond is mine_

* * *

**Well, there's chapter ten! I hope that everyone is enjoying the story and I just want to thank Rachel07 for you're review. I'm glad you're enjoying it! Anyway, that's it for me. Happy Reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Heero paced back and forth in the living room re-reading the note for the tenth time. Trowa sat in the corner with his head bowed, thinking while Duo fussed in the kitchen trying to keep his hands busy. Wufei sat on the couch with his head buried in his hands, swaying back and forth. It had been four hours since they found the note and they couldn't find Quatre anywhere. Finally Hero stopped pacing and turned to face the others. He placed the note on the table and sighed.

"Well, at least we know he's alive."

Duo paused and looked up. "What makes you think that?"

"Because he wouldn't leave us a note saying he's been taken if he weren't. If all he wanted to do was kill us we would have found Quatre's body by now." He explained calmly.

Duo nodded and turned back to drying dishes (even though they weren't wet). Trowa looked up and frowned.

"He must be up to something. Why alert us to Quatre's capture if he wasn't?"

Heero nodded. "I agree. But there's nothing we can do now." He looked over to Wufei and frowned. "You should have stayed with him."

Wufei nodded but didn't look up. He knew it was his fault that Quatre had been taken. He should have known better than to leave him alone. Quatre may have the most intelligence out of all of them but he certainly wasn't the strongest. Why did he have to leave him?

Heero sighed and sat down on the chair closest to him. "There's no point is focusing on blame."

Wufei looked up. "We must find him."

Heero nodded. "I agree. But we have nothing to go off of. I suggest we…"

A knock on the door interrupted Heero and all four men turned to stare at the door. Heero turned to Wufei who nodded and the two stood and slowly approached the door. They stood on either end with Duo and Trowa ready to pounce on whoever might come in. Wufei opened the door quickly but no one was there. They looked around but they couldn't see any footprints anywhere. On the ground, near the water was another note. Wufei picked it up and they re-secured the door. This time the note was longer but it gave Wufei the same chill as before.

_I'm sure you're worried about you're little friend. Well, don't. He's just fine. I will return him to you within a week on one condition: You keep this to yourselves. If I hear one phone conversation, see one vehicle, then you're little blond is dead. I do hope you understand because I would hate to make a mess of my new home._

Wufei passed the note around to his friends and collapsed on the couch.

"Why that Bastard!" Duo shouted when he finished reading.

"He has nothing to gain by simply returning Quatre to us. He's going to do something to him." Trowa said.

Heero nodded. "I have a feeling this man is more upset than we thought he was." He turned and began to walk into the kitchen.

"Where are you going Heero?" Duo asked.

"To make every antidote I can with our supplies. I have a feeling Quatre is going to come back very, very sick." He said before disappearing into the other room.

The following week was very tense. Wufei kept a constant vigil at the door, waiting to hear the slightest sound that would alert him to Quatre's presence. Heero had made a variety of antidotes that he had learned over the year and they were all sitting in small glasses around the house, ready to be poured down Quatre's throat if they needed to be. Duo and Trowa had taken up the task of housework though nether spoke much.

Duo had begun to feel guilty that he was so concerned with his relationship with Catherine. Why hadn't he been more focused about the task? Too many years without the war had softened him and he didn't like it. He wanted to call Sally and tell her to find Quatre but he was afraid of what might happen to his friend. The note they had found suggested that Reigo had been monitoring their phone calls and actions from the beginning and that thought scared Duo. There wasn't much that could scare him these days, but this was one of them.

Trowa had a different reaction to Quatre's disappearance. Yes, he was worried about his dearest friend, but his logical brain couldn't help but wonder what would happen next.

_What if Quatre is hurt? What if he can never tell Wufei about his feelings? What if the same happens to me?...or to Duo before I can tell him? _Trowa was having a revelation. He couldn't continue to put on his confession to Duo. Life can change at the blink of an eye. He had to be up front before he lost his chance. He stood up and turned to Duo. He opened his mouth to speak with a loud thump could be heard on the other side of the door.

Wufei was outside before the others had time to blink. Lying unconscious on the beach was Quatre. His hair was tussled and tangled and his body was dirty. His clothes were ripped and badly soiled. He moaned softly in his unconscious state and he was running a high fever. Wufei lifted him into his arms and carried him into the house. Duo quickly closed the emergency door and joined them. Heero and Trowa carried in Heero's antidotes and set them on the table. Wufei was busily checking Quatre's body for abnormalities. When he found none that he could see, he moved to look at Quatre's face.

"Quatre? Can you hear me?" He asked, his voice soft and welcoming.

The small blond's eyes flittered and slowly opened. He seemed confused of his surroundings for a moment but then he sat up and nearly knocked heads with Wufei.

"Wufei!" He shouted and looked at the others. "What…what happened?"

Wufei couldn't hide the sigh of relief that Quatre was alright and Duo nearly pounced on the boy.

"You're alive!" Duo exclaimed and embraced him.

Heero and Trowa laughed at Quatre's stunned look.

"Alive? Why wouldn't I be?" He asked.

Wufei frowned. "You don't remember anything?"

The blond shook his head. "I…I remember you and I were out looking for food and I was collecting shell fish…but then…nothing."

Heero huffed and sat across from Quatre. "You don't seem to be poisoned…" He observed.

Quatre opened his mouth to question him when Trowa laid a hand on his shoulder. "You were kidnapped by Reigo."

Quatre's eye widened and he nearly passed out again. "I…was what?"

Wufei placed a hand on the man's knee and frowned. "You seem to be alright." He turned to Heero. "Why would he take Quatre and then return him without change?"

Heero shook his head. "I don't think he would…perhaps it's something that won't appear until later…"

"Sh-should we tell Sally?" Duo asked.

Heero stood and shook his head. "Not until we know what we're up against." He turned and walked out of the room.

Trowa watched him leave with a frown. He turned to his friend and smiled warmly. "Maybe you should get some rest."

Quatre smiled back, still slightly confused, but nodded just the same. "Alright." He stood and Wufei quickly joined him.

"I'll go with you." He said and before the others could question him, he escorted Quatre into the bedroom and shut the door.

Wufei forced Quatre to lay down and then he sat next to him on the bed. "Are…you sure that you feel nothing…out of the ordinary?" He asked him.

Quatre looked at his body for a moment and then shook his head. "Nothing seems different…" He looked up at Wufei and frowned. "Except that I can't remember anything since you and I were searching for food."

Wufei nodded and looked at the sheets. His mind was a flurry of voices, most of which were screaming at him to admit his feelings. "Quatre…there is something I must say now before I loose my chance later."

Quatre furrowed his brow and sat up, leaning against the pillows. "Alright. What is it?"

Wufei looked up from the bed sheets and looked into Quatre's soft blue eyes. "I…I was going to tell you this while we were looking for food…but…" He shook his head and moved closer to Quatre. "Quatre…I…" He suddenly found that the words he needed to say, alluded him. Frustrated with himself, he just leaned forward and kissed Quatre's soft lips.

Quatre's eyes widened for a moment but soon he found he was enjoying it. Unfortunately, no sooner than he started, Wufei pulled away and seemed like he was about to run away. Quatre reached forward and pulled him back onto the bed and looked into his eyes.

"That…was amazing…" The small blond whispered.

Wufei gawked. He hadn't really expected Quatre to be so welcome to the idea of his feelings. "It…was?"

Quatre smiled and nodded. "Yes. I…I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

Wufei felt his ears turn red and he chuckled. "Really?"

Quatre nodded and moved his head closer to Wufei's. "I…I feel the same way."

Wufei smiled and wrapped his arms around the boy. "I must admit…I didn't expect this…" He nuzzled his nose against Quatre's. "But I'm glad." He said and kissed Quatre again.

After Quatre's return, the others began to think that perhaps Reigo was just trying to scare them by taking Quatre, because the blond man seemed to be in perfect health. It wasn't until three days had passed that they began to notice a difference. Quatre seemed to be getting weaker and he was having continual stomach aches. Wufei was with him every moment of every day, but he just seemed to be getting worse. In a month's time, Quatre was reduced to the bed and could barely manage to hold hid head up. Wufei often paced in their room at the foot of the bed, just wishing there was something he could do.

One morning, while Heero was making breakfast, a loud thump sounded on the front door. Duo looked up from his book and glared while Trowa approached the door. Placing his ear against it, he found that he couldn't hear anything unusual, so he opened it carefully. Just outside was a knife sticking in the door with a note attached to it. Trowa frowned, picked up the knife and took it and the note inside, securing the door shut.

"What's it say?" Duo asked, joining the tall French-man.

Trowa shrugged and opened the note.

_I'm sure you've noticed by now that your little blond friend isn't doing so well. You may be surprised to find out that his condition is nothing that can be cured. Currently, residing in his body, are pieces of three of you that I took the liberty of stealing. Why not four you ask? Well, because my work has already been done for the fourth of you and all I have to do is wait for the results. As for the blond, these pieces are sapping his energy so they can grow and soon there will be nothing left of him. Oh, and by the way, feel free to call a doctor. You'll need one._

Duo furrowed his brow. "Pieces of three of us?"

"But the fourth isn't needed…" Trowa finished.

A loud crash from the kitchen made Trowa and Duo look up. Heero was standing in the door way with a panicked look on his face.

"Pieces…but the fourth is taken care of?" He asked.

When Trowa and Duo nodded, he bolted into the bedroom and Quatre and Wufei, much to their surprise, and ran to the ill man in bed. Trowa and Duo followed, shoving the note under Wufei's nose. After the Chinese man read it he gasped and looked up to Heero.

"Quatre's….pregnant?" He exclaimed.

Quatre's eyes widened and he nearly passed out while Trowa had to catch Duo from doing the same.

"Relena…" Heero panted. "She's in danger!"

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**Well, there's chapter 11. I know, it took forever. My appologies. bows Well, I hope to get the next chapter out soon (but I seem to have less time during the summer than I do during the school year!). Anyway, hope you all enjoy! Happy Reading! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but he's really pregnant." Sally said, standing up from the bed where Quatre was laying.

"How can that be, Sally?" Quatre asked, slightly pale faced.

Sally frowned. "Alright, let me rephrase that…" She said, observing the panic on the five faces around her. "He's not pregnant in the same way a woman would be." She turned on a small machine next to Quatre that showed a picture she had taken of his insides. Most was black with a few green lines.

"This is Quatre's stomach." She said, pointing to a circular shape in the green. "This over here," she pointed to two very pale green blobs off in the center of the green circle. "Are…well…embryos. They're similar to those found in women, but there different somehow. Almost, genetically enhanced." She turned to the men. "They've been designed to survive with very little nutrition and without an actual uterus." She glanced at Quatre. "Regio may be a killer, but he's obviously very intelligent to have created this kind of technology." With a sigh she turned the machine off.

"At least we know what Reigo is after now." Heero said.

The others turned to him. He was sitting in the dark corner with his head down and his arms crossed over his chest.

"He wants to destroy the one human piece that remains in all of us." He looked up. "Our hearts."

Wufei nodded, sitting next to Quatre. "By destroying our offspring, he can truly get his revenge."

Duo had started pacing half-way through the conversation and he abruptly stopped, turning to Sally. "But…how?" He asked.

She opened her mouth to re-explain what she had already said when Duo interrupted her again.

"No, I don't mean 'how is Quatre carrying them', I mean, how did it happen? I mean…don't ya kinda need a girl?" He asked.

Sally frowned. "I'm not sure to be honest." She looked at the others. "I'll have to do some more research." She said apologetically.

Trowa nodded. "We understand. Please, hurry." He said as he escorted Sally out.

She nodded and paused at the door. "Reigo obviously wants Quatre to carry the babies to term. So I doubt he'll try and hurt you. I'll be back once I figure things out." She looked to Heero. "I'll send Relena here. Judging from the note, Reigo didn't bother creating a child of yours because Relena is already pregnant. She'll be safer here."

Heero nodded and the men said goodbye to Sally.

Duo collapsed in a chair and sighed. "This is…"

"Not possible." Trowa finished.

Heero crossed his arms over his chest again. "This is getting interesting." He droned.

Relena arrived within the hour and Heero immediately forced her into his bedroom so she could rest. She argued with him all the way to the door and even after it was shut, the others could still hear her muffled voice as she complained.

Duo paced all the way around the room several times, trying to process the new information, while Trowa watched him from the couch.

"Duo, stop. You're making me dizzy." He said.

Duo paused and turned to Trowa. "This doesn't freak you out? Our good friend has just been impregnated by a psyco! Nevermind the fact that he's a guy!" He almost shouted he was so freaked.

Trowa sighed and closed his eyes. "It's odd. Of course. But with technology these days, it was bound to happen."

Duo's mouth fell to his chin. "You're…okay with this?"

Trowa opened his mouth and looked up at him. "Of course not. I'm not comfortable knowing that Regio snuck in here, stole our DNA, created our offspring and then placed them in Quatre's body. Especially since Quatre's body was never meant to carry children. It could kill him and the embryos." He stood and walked to Duo. "However, panicking will not help anyone. I'm sure Quatre is more concerned about this than any of us. We need to be strong for him." His voice was calm and soothing.

Duo took a few deep breaths and sighed. "Yeah…your right." He walked to the couch and sat down. "You know, I thought I had seen it all in the war…" He shook his head. "You learn somethin' new everyday…"

While the crew awaited Sally's return with more information, Wufei kept a constant vigil of Quatre. The blond grew weaker by the day as the embryos sapped nutrition from his body. He couldn't leave the bed, so Wufei waited on him hand and foot. He was always by his side, just waiting for his next request.

Quatre felt guilty that he couldn't do anything to help Wufei, but when he tried to argue, Wufei would counter with "I want to help". How could Quatre argue with that? He looked up as Wufei was setting down the tray that held his dinner and smiled.

"Thank you." He said weakly.

Wufei smiled and nodded. "Do you need anything else?" He asked sitting on the bed next to Quatre.

Quatre smiled and nodded. "You." He said and pulled Wufei closer to him.

Wufei was shocked at the strength that Quatre still had and smiled as he lay down next to the blond. "You seem to be feeling better."

Quatre nodded slightly. "A little. I don't know if it's because I'm getting more energy or because I'm getting used to it." He shrugged and nuzzled Wufei's neck. "I just…wanted you." He said softly.

Wufei smiled and wrapped his arms around the small blond. "I give you my word, Quatre. I will help you through his." He looked down at the blond. "And who knows…" He leaned down and kissed Quatre's nose. "Maybe we'll actually be able to raise the children inside you." He whispered.

Quatre blushed slightly and nodded. "I would like that." He whispered back.

Wufei smiled. "So would I." He said and kissed the smaller man passionately.

When Sally returned a week later, the crew was on edge. She had only just stepped through they door when he bombarded her with a volley of questions.

"Hold it!" She yelled at them and they stilled. "Calm down. I'll tell you everything. But In Quatre's room. I want him to hear." She said and they all followed her into the blond's room. Once everyone was settled, she continued. "Alright, I have a little more information." She said, again setting up her equipment. "Judging from the tissue samples I took from each embryo, I've determined the parents and how they were created." She moved to Quatre and did a quick ultrasound to take a new picture of the embryos, which looked remarkably like the first one. "Alright," She said and pointed to the one on the top. "This one contains DNA from Quatre and Wufei." She explained.

Quatre blushed and couldn't hide the smile that formed. He glanced at Wufei, who also had a smile.

Sally chuckled and pointed to the second embryo. "This one, contains the DNA from Duo and Trowa."

Duo glanced over at Trowa with a nervous look on his face and Trowa blushed.

Sally didn't seem to notice, because she continued. "It seems to me, that Regio has found a way to alter genetic material." She said and leaned back against the dresser. "Some how, from the DNA he extracted from Quatre and Duo, he was able to change the chromosomes from X,Y to X,X."

Duo gasped. "He made us women!" He nearly fainted.

Sally rolled her eyes. "Of course not, Duo." She glared. "However, he made the extracted DNA female in order to create the embryos." She explained.

Trowa crossed his arms over his chest. "So Quatre is carrying the children he created…" It wasn't a question.

Sally nodded. "Yes. However, since his body was never intended to support life outside of his own, the embryos are taking their nutrition from his muscles and organs. If we don't remove the embryos, Quatre will die in a very short time." She turned to them with a serious look on her face. "The way I see it, we have two options…One, I can abort the pregnancy."

Wufei glared. "Never."

Quatre grasped his stomach and Trowa shook his head. Duo frowned. "No, Sally. It's not the baby's fault that this happened. They deserve a chance to live."

Sally smiled and nodded. "I had a feeling you'd feel that way. Alright, then it's on to option two." She whistled and two men brought in a large machine. "This is an incubator." She explained. "I believe that I can safely extract the embryos from Quatre's body and grow them in this machine." She looked at Quatre. "It will be done in much the same way as all of your sisters. Grown in test tubes." She said and Quatre nodded.

"I don't know how the embryo's will develop because nothing like this has ever been attempted before." She said with a sigh. "However, I promise to do whatever I can to keep them alive."

Wufei, Trowa and Duo all nodded. Quatre looked nervous but he nodded as well.

"How difficult will the procedure be, Sally?" Relena asked.

The taller woman sighed. "Theoretically it isn't. I just need to take the embryos out of the body. However, I have no idea what will happen until I'm inside."

They all nodded and Wufei turned to Quatre. "It's your choice, really."

Duo and Trowa also nodded, though their eyes said they wanted their children to live.

Quatre smiled at them and turned to Wufei. "It's all of our choice." He said and turned to Sally. "Do it."

* * *

**_Well, there's chapter 12! What do you think? I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. Thanks so much to my reveiwers: LastXExile and Racheal07. You guys rock! Well, that's it for me, Happy Reading!_**

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Sally kicked the men out of the room while she preformed the procedure (despite Wufei's protests to stay close). They sat anxiously awaiting the outcome in the living room.

"What if it doesn't work?" Trowa asked in a low voice.

Wufei turned to him with fire in his eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Trowa looked calmly up at him. "Just that. What if it doesn't work?" He stood and faced the Chinese man. "I know that Sally can save Quatre. I'm not worried about that." He said then he walked away and stared at a point on the floor. "What if the embryo's don't make it?"

"They have to…" Duo said darkly.

The others turned to him with confusion as the God of Death reared it's ugly head. The braided man chuckled darkly and glanced at his friends. "I found out…just before this whole thing started…that because of all the fighting I did…and all the blows to the stomach area…" He shook his head, trailing off.

"You can't have children…" Heero finished.

Duo chuckled again and shook his head. "Yeah…sucks don't it?"

Trowa frowned and Wufei bowed his head. Heero glanced at Relena and then walked over to him. "I'm sorry, Duo." He said softly.

Duo shrugged him off and stepped away. "Eh, it's alright. I got over it." He turned back and stared at Quatre's door. "I just…hope Sally can save them…" He said softly and then chuckled, but his voice sounded weak. "It would be nice to be able to raise a kid…"

Heero opened his mouth to speak when the door to Quatre's room opened. Wufei was in front of it before the others could blink as Sally stepped out with a smile.

"Well?" He demanded.

"Quatre's fine. He's just resting." She said happily.

"And…the baby's?" Duo asked, his voice almost chocked.

Sally smiled even wider. "The transplant did wonderfully. They're in the incubator now." He smile faltered only slightly as she sat down. "I don't know how well they'll grow. And you'll have to keep a constant watch on them. But they seem healthy. They should be alright." She stood again and ushered her men out. "I'll come back once a month to check on them and on Quatre. Until he's completely healed, you should keep him from doing any physical activity." She glanced at Duo. "And yes, that includes chores."

Duo's face fell and he pouted. Now he would have to do Quatre's chores too. Sally left the house and Wufei was immediately by Quatre's side. The others walked in slowly while Wufei settled himself next to the blond man as he slept.

Inside the incubator, they could see two small embryo's, one in the left tube said "CHANG/WINNER" and the right tube said "MAXWELL/BARTON". Duo couldn't hide the smile that appeared on his face as he approached the one with his name above it. He carefully touched the glass, as though in awe of what he found inside.

"This is incredible…" He muttered.

Trowa moved closer to him to get a better look and nodded. "Yes…" He muttered. _A child with Duo…this is…a dream come true…_Trowa thought and couldn't hide his excitement.

Heero watched the embryo's and then placed a protective hand on Relena's belly. "So that's what it looks like." He muttered to her.

She smiled and nodded. "I guess so…"

Wufei glanced up from Quatre to look at the embryo with his name above it. He stared intently at the small creature for a long moment, his face expressionless.

"It's amazing isn't it?"

He looked down and saw Quatre looking at the baby as well. He smiled and glanced up at Wufei. "We're having…a baby together."

Wufei smiled and chuckled. "Yes…" He leaned down and kissed Quatre very softly. "We are." He said and turned to look back at the baby.

Duo smiled as he watched Wufei and Quatre. He was glad they were happy together. _I guess this really is a perfect situation for them…_He thought. Then he frowned, turning to look at his own child. How could he raise a kid with Trowa when he was in love with Catherine? _Boy…that's gonna be awkward…_He thought. He glanced to Trowa out of the corner of his eye and felt a wave of nausea come over him. How was he gonna tell one of his closest friends that he was dating his sister? _Well…now I have to do it…_He sighed inwardly. _But how…?_ Trowa was a good friend of his, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt him. He knew that Catherine meant the world to Trowa and not just any man was going to be good enough for her. _Especially not the God of Death…_He frowned. He reached out and touched the glass again with a small smile.

"Don't worry, little guy. I'll figure something out…" He whispered to the fetus.

The weeks past steadily with the guys taking turns watching the incubator; well, everyone but Heero. He wouldn't take his eyes off of Relena, much to her annoyance ("I'm not made of glass, Heero!"). The stay at the "beach house", as Duo so affectionately called it, was quiet. Reigo seemed to have completely disappeared, and that was what frightened the pilots. Relena was two months ahead of the incubator, and when she was growing close to labor, Heero had started to grow more anxious, but no one knew why. He would always sit on the couch and stare at the bedroom door where Relena stayed most of the time. It wasn't until Duo asked him what was wrong that he actually spoke.

He turned to the braided man and sighed. "I'm…going to be a father…" He said half-heartedly.

Duo smirked and nodded. "Yeah. You're just realizing that?" He chucked and to his surprise, Heero nodded.

The stoic ex-Gundam pilot turned to stare at the door again and sighed. "I guess I never really focused on it…I just kept thinking about Relena and keeping her safe…" He turned back to Duo with a worried expression, something that was uncharacteristic of Heero "Perfect Solider" Yuy. "What if I'm not a good father?" He asked.

Duo's face warmed and he smiled. "I'm sure you will be, Hee-chan. Every new father starts out with zero experience and they end up fine." He placed a comforting hand on Heero's shoulder. "Besides, you're the Perfect Solider. Just think of this as one more mission." He winked.

"One more mission…" Heero mumbled and turned back to the bedroom door. "I…think I can do that."

Duo smiled. "You better!" He chuckled and leaned back against the couch. "Besides, you have Relena to help you. You guys are in this together." He added. _Unlike a certain someone I know…_He thought gloomily.

As though reading his mind, Heero turned and looked at Duo. "And you don't...How are you doing?" He asked.

Duo raised a brow for a second then smirked. "As well as can be expected." He shrugged. "To be honest, it's a little odd. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad my genes are gonna live on. But this isn't exactly the situation I was hoping for."

Heero nodded. "I wish I could say I understand…but…"

Duo shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Hee-chan. You have your own kid to worry about. No since in adding mine." He smirked.

Giggling could be heard coming from Wufei and Quatre's room and Duo smirked. "At least they're getting along good." He said happily.

Heero smirked and nodded. "Yes. I can hear them all the way on the other side of the room." He shook his head.

Duo laughed. "I'm surprised you can hear anything over Relena's shouts." He laughed causing Heero to blush a bright red.

Duo only laughed harder. He loved making the Perfect Solider blush.

As Relena's due date came and went, Heero found himself in a nervous panic. "Are you sure nothing's wrong?" He kept asking. "No, Heero, Baby's are late sometimes. It's normal." Was the answer he got every time. The day Relena went into Labor, a full week late, Heero was a mess. He wanted to be by her side, but he was terrified that Reigo would try something. He kept wandering in and out of their bedroom. Every time he left, Sally would scream at him to get back inside and Relena would throw something. Duo and Trowa finally had enough and blocked the door with the couch and two chairs so he couldn't leave. The labor lasted for a solid 12 hours before the four men heard crying coming from the room.

Duo jumped up to pull the couch away from the door just as Sally turned the handle. She stepped out with a tired smile on her face.

"Well!" Duo gasped with excitement.

"What is it?" Trowa asked.

Sally smiled. "A beautiful baby boy." She said and collapsed on the couch. "Eight pounds, Four Ounces and about twenty inches long." She explained as she rested her head on the pillows.

Duo and Quatre exchanged giddy smiles while Wufei chuckled and Trowa smiled. A few minutes later, Heero emerged carrying a very small bundle wrapped in blankets. He had a dazed expression on his face, as though he couldn't believe what had just happened. He looked up at his friends and presented the baby.

Quatre and Duo squealed and jumped around like school girls upon seeing the small face. He had a small bush of very dark hair on the top of his head and a small sharp nose.

"Just like his Daddy." Duo chuckled.

Heero blushed and looked down at his son with a soft smile. "I…guess so…"

"What's his name Heero?" Quatre asked.

Heero glanced back at Relena through the open door, who nodded tiredly. He turned back to his friends and smiled. "Odin. Odin Yuy." He said in a small voice.

"Yuy? But, what about the press?" Duo asked, shocked.

"Let me handle the press." Sally said standing up. "That baby deserves to hold his true father's name." She smiled and waved good bye to Relena and the guys, who were still swarming around the baby.

Things around the small house got more exciting after Odin was born. He seemed to take more after his mother than they thought because he screamed constantly. None of the guys ever got any sleep and Duo was beginning to miss the sounds of Quatre and Wufei. _At least they _tried_ to be quiet…_he grumbled. However, thoughts of Odin began to wane from the braided pilots mind as the birth of his own baby grew nearer. Although he wasn't really sure how it would work, since it was in a tube, but he was nervous just the same.At month three, Sally had placed black sheaths around the tubes so the pilots couldn't find out the sex. She wanted it to be a surprise just like Heero and Relena.

He and Trowa hadn't spoken about what would happen once the baby was born. Though many conversations had been started, none held any form of conclusion. Quatre and Wufei, on the other hand, had already picked out names for their baby.

"Katrina Mei Chang for a girl and Fei Raber Chang for a boy." Quatre proclaimed proudly.

"Chang, huh? I know who wears the pants in your relationship." Duo teased.

Quatre blushed furiously and Wufei glared at him. He wrapped his arms around the smaller man. "Why don't we hyphenate? Winner-Chang?"

Quatre smiled and shook his head. "Chang-Winner. Duo's right. You do wear the pants." He giggled causing Wufei to blush.

Duo wanted to talk things over with Trowa, but he felt awkward around the man. He knew he had to tell him about him and Catherine before it was too late, but how could he just come out and tell him something like that? He didn't even know if she still wanted him. It had been 11 months since he had seen her and he wasn't even sure if they're relationship was real or not.

When the morning came for the baby's to be born, all four men were a wreak. Heero and Relena sat back, out of the way, with Odin while the men and Sally scrambled around, preparing for the arrival of the babies.

"How can we raise three baby's in this tiny house?" Quatre asked, slightly panicked.

"We can't chance moving you. Not yet. It's not safe." Sally argued.

"But this is unacceptable!" Wufei complained, earning him a glare from Sally.

"You'll have to put up with it, Chang." She growled back and stalked into the bedroom with the incubators.

The extraction didn't take near as long as Relena's labor, and soon Sally was emerging with two baby's in her arms. Quatre was standing near the couch, but when he saw the baby's he collapsed onto the cushions. Wufei walked behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder for support. Duo had a similar reaction, but he was already sitting and Trowa stood near but seemed almost afraid to approach Duo. Sally smiled and walked over to Quatre and Wufei.

"Congratulations. It's a girl!" She smiled and handed the small baby over to them. "Seven pounds, four ounces and nineteen inches long."

Quatre looked down at the baby in his arms and a tear fell down his cheek. Wufei held him close as they gazed at the small blond child with a warm smile on his face.

"Hello there…Katrina Mei…" Quatre said softly.

Sally smiled and walked over to Duo and Trowa. "And Congratulations to you." She held the baby out and Duo jumped up to take it. "We've got another girl." She winked. "Also seven pounds, but only two ounces and 16 inches long."

Duo felt himself tear up and he quickly looked down at the baby, removing the fabric covering her face. She was so small and pink that Duo was afraid he could crush her. He almost laughed for joy as he bounced her gently in his arms.

"Wow…a daughter…" He muttered. He turned to look at Trowa, who seemed afraid to approach. He chuckled and walked over to him. "She won't bite." Then he laughed. "Not yet anyway." He winked.

Trowa smirked and looked down at her. "She's…beautiful…" He said. She was mostly bald with a few wisps of soft brown hair on the top of her head with a small heart-shaped face.

Duo looked up to meet Trowa's eyes and he sighed. _Well, Maxwell…it's now or never…_He thought. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a large explosion outside.

Everyone turned towards the sound as manic laughter could be heard. Suddenly the blast door blew down and a shadowy figure stood in the cloud of dust.

"Huzzah! The baby's are born!" The figure said in a dark and sinister voice. "My turn…"

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**_YAY! Chapter 13 is done! Excited yet? Yes, I know. Cliffhanger! It's okay, things will be resolved in the next chapter. Yes, that's right, the next chapter is the final chapter, which means it'll be very long…hope no one minds. _**

**_I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story. Thanks to LastxExile and Rachael07 for your reviews. I appreciate it a lot! Well, that's it for me. Happy Reading! _**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Heero jumped up and pushed Relena and Odin over to Duo and Quatre, taking a defensive pose in front of them, quickly pulling his gun out and pointing it at the figure. Wufei pulled his sword and stepped up next to Heero while Trowa pulled out his knives. The figure laughed and waved his hand at them, as though laughing. He snapped his fingers and several other men appeared. Two large men were a roped and gagged Sally and several others held her operatives.

Wufei tightened his grip on his sword at the sight of his best friend in danger. He stepped forward and glared at the figure.

"Reigo, I presume?" He hissed.

The figure laughed and stepped forward, coming into the light. His hair was white and his body was lean, but his face was aged. He grinned evilly at Wufei and bowed in mock respect. "Of course." He creaked.

Heero glared, his gun still pointing at the man. "Why us?" He asked.

Reigo chuckled. "Why not?" He shrugged. "I've done my research, Mr. Yuy." He grinned, walking forward. "The war did not start until the Gundam's came to earth." He looked at each of the men in turn. "My family was killed in the war." His eyes focused on the baby's. "So, I will destroy yours."

In the blink of an eye, Reigo had pulled a gun and fired it straight at the baby in Duo's arms. It was barely enough time for Trowa to react and shove Duo out of the way. With a shout, Trowa crumpled to the floor, bleeding from his arm. Duo looked over at him in shock as he clutched the baby too him. Odin and Katrina started to cry at the loud sound and Heero glared, firing his weapon as quickly as he could. Reigo wasn't surprised, and easily sidestepped the bullet which embedded itself into one of his men. The silence that followed was the loudest thing anyone had ever heard. A man approached Reigo and whispered something into his ear.

Duo glanced at Quatre. "I don't think they expected to die." He chuckled.

Quatre nodded, but didn't smile. He was looking at Trowa, who was holding his bleeding arm on the floor, and holding Katrina tightly to him.

Suddenly, as though all at once, the men dropped the captured Preventors and started to run. The pilots took advantage of the chaos and ran as well. Wufei urged Relena, Duo and Quatre ahead of him with the baby's and yelled at them to run without stopping. Heero fired off several shots and the men running away and Trowa dispatched of others with his knives, despite his wounded arm.

Reigo stood in the middle of the drama with a glare that could kill, staring at Heero. The stoic ex-pilot returned the fierce gaze with equal hatred.

"You've threatened my friends." Heero said, taking a step forward. "And you've threatened my family." Another step forward. "Neither can be considered wise decisions."

Regio's glare seemed to shift, and suddenly he was smiling. "Did you really think defeating me would be that easy?" He asked and Heero noticed a slight flicker in his eyes. Suddenly he vanished.

"A hologram!" Trowa shouted.

"The babies…" Heero breathed and he and Trowa sprinted down the beach at top speed.

Off in the distance they could see Quatre, Duo and Relena with the babies in hand, running along the beach with Wufei a few stepped behind, holding off the remaining guards. Suddenly, in front of them, Reigo stepped out from behind a rock with a gun in hand aimed right at Relena.

"Relena!" Heero shouted and ran harder than he ever had in his life. "It's taken me this long to find a family…" He muttered and then glared. "And I won't let you take it away!" He shouted, diving forward and tackling Reigo to the ground.

Relena screamed when she saw Heero tackle her enemy and she held Odin closer to her while Quatre and Duo copied her. Wufei remained behind to watch their backs as Trowa tried to assist Heero.

"You will not stop me this time, Heero Yuy!" Reigo shouted, still struggling with the abnormally strong "Perfect Soldier". The gun was still in his hand as he tried to aim despite Heero trying to knock it out of his hand. "I hope…you've settled your debts with God." He chuckled between pants. "Because, you're about to meet the reaper." Out of no where, he pulled a second gun and fired it before Heero smashed his hand, shattering the bones.

The gun shot echoed through the area, followed by a heavy thump. Once Heero had Reigo pinned he looked up. His eyes traveled immediately to Relena, then to Quatre, Duo, Wufei, Sally…but no Trowa. Trowa lay on the ground, bleeding profusely from his stomach where the bullet punctured him.

"Trowa!" Duo shouted and dove to him, followed quickly by Quatre and Wufei. Duo lifted the man into his arms and looked over his wound.

"It…it's bad…" He muttered.

"Yeah…it is…" Trowa coughed.

Duo turned to look at him and curled his lips in a strained smile. "Hey man, we've seen worse right?" He tried to chuckle but it came out forced.

Trowa smirked and nodded. "Yeah…too bad it's something simple that's taking me out now…"

Quatre shook his head over and over again. "No Trowa, you're…you're going to be fine." He tried to smile and he turned to Sally. "Right?"

Sally knelt down and looked over his wounds. "He'd bleeding pretty badly." She said softly. She rolled him slightly to feel along his back. "The bullet didn't go through…it must be lodged somewhere inside him." She looked back at the front of the wound. "It…it hit in a very bad spot." She looked up to Quatre. "It probably hit major organs." Her voice was almost a whisper.

Quatre's eyes were tearing up and he shook his head harder. "No! You have to do something!" He shouted at her, causing Katrina to cry.

Wufei knelt down and took the frightened baby from him, looking into Quatre's eyes. "We all knew our time would come in battle, Quatre." He said softly.

Quatre stared at him and turned his eyes to Trowa, who tried to smile.

"Don't worry…Little One." He smiled. "I'm…I'm fine…" He coughed again, leaving blood spots on the sand.

Quatre clenched his eyes shut and shook his head over and over again until Wufei forced him to stand and walked away with him. It was only then that Quatre allowed himself to break down in tears.

Duo looked down at Trowa, his own eyes close to tears as he chuckled. "You sure have an affect on people." He joked.

Trowa smirked. "I suppose so." He looked up at the braided man and his smirk vanished, leaving only a sincere smile. "Duo, I have to tell you something." He whispered.

Duo nodded, helping Trowa to lean up. "Me…me too." He smiled a bit sheepishly.

Trowa smiled and chuckled. "Me…first." He panted.

Duo nodded quietly and prepared to listen.

"I should…have told you…a long time…ago." Trowa said, his voice seemed to be fading. "I…I love you." He breathed.

Duo froze. He had not been expecting that. "You…you love me?" He asked, bewildered.

Trowa chuckled which turned into a cough. After he settled down he looked back up at Duo. "Yes."

Duo blinked. Trowa loved him? How could he not see that before? He smirked. "You hide it well." He teased, but inside he felt like an idiot.

Trowa smirked. "I try."

Duo shook his head, desperate to shake the tears away. "I…I never knew…" he muttered.

Trowa shook his head. "You were never meant to." He muttered.

Duo looked down at the pained eyes of his friend and felt guilty for his own confession. How could he tell him now? After what he just said? Finally, he smiled and nodded. "I…I'm glad." He said and leaned down, kissing Trowa softly on the lips.

Trowa smiled and nodded. "It's…It's been fun." He smirked and coughed again.

Duo chuckled and shook his head. "It's been an adventure…that's for sure."

Trowa smiled and glanced down at the baby. "Take…take care…of her…okay?" He asked, looking back at Trowa.

That did it. The tears slowly fell down Duo's cheeks as he chuckled. "Of course." He whispered, cuddling the baby closer to him.

Trowa smiled and nodded as the light in his eyes seemed to fade. Then suddenly, he stopped moving all together, and his eyes gained a far away look to them.

Duo clenched his eyes together to keep more tears from falling as he held his baby girl to him.

"You didn't tell him about Catherine."

Duo looked up at Heero's steady voice and he chuckled. "No…" He looked back down at the still body of his friend. "I wanted him to die happy…he deserved that much." He smiled up at Heero, who returned it with a nod.

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The four men stood together with their fallen comrade in silence. All around them was silent chatter about how "Trowa was a good man" and "He was always so kind". The four friends knew better. Trowa was a fighter; and a good one at that. He fought for the freedom of others without any selfish interest. He was a scholar, a hacker, a solider…but most of all, he was a friend.

"I always thought I would be the first to go." Heero muttered into the silence.

Duo chuckled. "I did too." He teased, provoking a glare from Heero.

"I can't believe…he's gone." Quatre said softly, cradling Katrina in his arms.

"He knew what was at stake." Wufei said, placing a comforting hand on Quatre's shoulder. "Now he doesn't have to fight anymore."

Duo nodded. "Yeah. He's the luckiest one of us all." He joked darkly, patting his baby's back softly.

Quatre turned to him and smiled, softly. "Duo, what are you going to name her?"

Duo smirked and turned back to the rosewood casket before them. "Cathy and I have been talking about that…" He turned back to his blond friend. "I think we've decided on Trinity; Trin for short." Duo looked back at the peaceful body of his friend and father of his baby. "Trowa may be gone from this world…but he'll never be out of her life." He smirked and turned back to his friends. "And neither will Cathy and I."

Quatre smiled. "I think that's a great name."

Wufei nodded. "Very honorable of you." He said, bowing his head.

Duo smirked. "I do try." He chuckled.

Katrina began to fuss and Quatre smiled at her. "I think it's time to go." He looked up at Wufei. "Kat needs a nap."

Wufei nodded and turned back to Heero and Duo. "See you at work." He said and turned to leave with Quatre.

Duo smiled, nodding his good-bye, as he turned back to Trowa's body. Heero remained by his side for a moment before he spoke.

"Do you want me to stay?"

Duo smirked and turned back to him. "Naw. I'm okay." He turned his back to Trowa and found Cathy speaking excitedly with Relena, no doubt about the baby's. "I have Cathy." He looked to Heero. "We'll be fine."

Heero bowed his head and wandered over to Relena, gently nudging her to signal it was time to go. She smiled and waved to Catherine before leaving the cemetery. Cathy smiled and walked over to Duo, lacing her arm with his and looking down at Trinity.

"So…what now?" She asked, her face still tear stained.

Duo smiled. "Now? Now we live." He smiled, wrapping his arm around her and looking up at the sky. "Now we live…"

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_**Okay, that's chapter 14. What does everyone think? I know, it's a sad ending (I tried to warn you in the beginning...). Up next is the epilogue. If I get at least five reveiws then I'll post the epilogue tonight. If not, I'll post it Friday. Sound fair? I just want to thank all my reveiwers. You guys are awesome and I really appreciate the support. Happy Reading! **_


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Trinity Raquel Maxwell! Get you're ass in here!" Duo's angry voice echoed through the small house.

From around the corner poked the very uneasy head of a beautiful young woman with auburn hair and vibrant violet eyes. She walked cautiously down the hall and into the study where her very irate father sat on the couch with a mountain of paperwork in front of him. She bit her lower lip as she stood in front of him with her fingers laced in front of her.

"….Yes, Daddy?" She asked sweetly.

He glared up at her and clenched a sheet of paper in his hand. "What's this?" His voice was eerily calm.

Trinity leaned forward slightly to read the heading on the paper. It said: "Preventor Contract".

"It's…a contract for the Preventors." She said softly.

Duo nodded. "Yes it is…and why does it have your signature on it?" He asked placing the paper down on the coffee table.

She swallowed and stood straighter. "I wanted to surprise you. I've joined the Preventors." She said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

Duo looked up at her with a raised eye brow and stood up, towering over her much shorter frame. "And when were you planning on letting me know?" He glared.

"Umm…now?" She ventured, looking up at him.

In a flash, Duo's glare was gone and he was grinning from ear to ear before he lifted her in his arms, giving her a bare hug. "I am so proud of you!" He exclaimed.

Trinity laughed as he father twirled her and playfully slapped him when he released her. "You scared the crap outta me!" She shouted with a grin on her face.

"That was the point!" Duo countered with a chuckle.

She glared at him just as Catherine came into the room. "What's all this?" She asked.

Duo chuckled and wrapped his arm around her daughter. "Trin's joined the Preventors."

Cathy's face lit up and she smiled. "Really? Oh Trinity, honey that's wonderful!"

Trinity blushed slightly and nodded. "Thanks Mom."

"So that contract says you're shipping out at the end of the week. What do you say to a little celebration?" Duo asked with a smirk.

Trinity smiled. "Yeah, that sounds great!"

"I'll call everyone." Cathy smiled and left the room.

Duo chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest as his wife left. "So how many people actually know about this besides me?" He smirked.

Trinity laughed. "Odin and Katrina. It was their idea."

"Humph. Figures." He chuckled and hugged his daughter again. "What happened? We used to be so close! Why oh why wouldn't you tell them over me?" He cried in mock sadness.

Trinity laughed and pushed him off. "Oh, I don't know; maybe because they happen to be my best friend and fiancé?" She winked at him.

Duo chuckled, a mocking gone from his face. "Oh, that. Well why didn't you say so?" He winked.

Cathy came back into the room with a smile and wrapped her arms around Duo. "Quatre and Wufei will be here at seven, but Heero and Relena have a press conference so they won't be here till eight." She explained.

"And Odin, Katrina and Sally?" Duo asked.

"Sally's already on her way, she just wouldn't take no for an answer." Cathy giggled. "As for the kids…"

"They're already here."

The three turned at the deep and steady voice of Odin Yuy as he stood in the doorway with a smirk with Katrina Mei Chang-Winner stood behind him with a smile on her face.

Trinity smiled and walked over to him, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. Duo smirked at them. He still couldn't get over how much Odin looked like Heero. The same dark and messy hair, the same eyes, even the same body type. The only thing that was different was his height. Heero had never been gifted with height, standing only an inch or two over Relena. Odin, however, was a solid six foot three inches. Duo always assumed it came from the Peacecraft blood, since Millardo was just as tall.

"You didn't think we'd miss this, do you?" Katrina giggled.

She mostly took after Quatre, with long blond hair that waved beautifully around her face. But her body was far leaner, much like Wufei, and her eyes were dark and narrow. All and all she was a very beautiful young woman.

"I expect nothing less from the daughter of a Winner." Duo chuckled.

Katrina laughed. "But what about the daughter of a Chang-Winner?" She winked.

Duo smirked. "Well that's a different story. I'm surprised you're not more introverted with a father like Wufei." He teased.

"Me too." She laughed, clinging onto Trinity in a hug.

"So, you're both joining Preventors as well?" Cathy asked.

Odin smirked and nodded. "How could we not with parents like ours?" He joked.

Duo laughed. "Yeah, I guess you were all doomed from the start, eh?"

"What is Quatre going to do with Winner Enterprises if you're joining the Preventors?" Cathy asked the blond girl.

She smiled and walked further into the room, letting go of Trinity. "We've talked about this a lot. He wants me to take over the company, but I know that I can't lead a life of business without earning my place in society. I've promised him that I'll take over when the time is right, but until then, my life will be with the Preventors."

Duo chuckled. "Yup, you're Wufei's kid alright." He joked and she glared, though she couldn't remove the smile on her face. Duo smirked and looked up at Odin. "So, what's your story?"

Odin smiled, pulling Trinity into the room with him. "Both my mother and my father have fought long and hard for peace. I know now that peace can not exist without sacrifice. I also know that most people aren't willing to make that sacrifice. If no one takes a risk, we'll never have peace." He shrugged. "My father taught me that peace really is worth risking everything you have."

Duo smiled darkly and chuckled, the God of Death emerging for a slit second. "Yeah…you got that right."

"What do you're siblings say about all of this?" Cathy asked, sitting on the couch with Duo while the kids gathered around in various arm chairs.

Odin chuckled. "Hailey's jealous. She wants to join Preventors too. But Dad said she's too young."

Duo laughed. "He's one to talk! She's the same age he was when he blew up his first OZ base!"

Odin smirked. "That's what she said. But Dad wouldn't bite."

"Fei wants to start his own temple." Katrina smiled. "He wants to be able to train the next generation of fighters in the ways of honor. Fù Qīn **_(1)_** is going to help him."

Cathy smiled. "That's wonderful! I'm glad he's gotten past his insecurities."

Kat smiled and nodded. "Me too. It too him a while to accept being a test tube baby, but once he realized that Fù Qīn and Dad had no other choice in order to have a second kid, he felt special."

Duo chuckled. "You really are Quatre's kids." He shook his head and shrugged. "Anyway," he stood up and clapped his hands together. "Let's get this part started!"

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Later that night, after all the guests had returned home and Odin had just finished saying good-night to Trinity, the auburn haired girl entered her bedroom with a sigh. She walked over to her table top and picked up her brush, running it through her hair a few times before taking a seat on the edge of her bed. She looked over at her bedside table, at the many picture frames that scattered across the top; the first was of her family. Duo and Catherine were in the back holding her little brother Matthew, who was only four at the time, and Trinity was in the front holding the keys to her new card, which was in the background. It was her sixteenth birthday. The second was a group picture of herself, Kat and Odin. They were twelve and decided to step into a cheesy photo booth at the mall. All of their tongues are sticking out and they're faces are squished together. She laughed softly at the memory. Next was a picture of herself and Odin just after he purposed. It was the same picture they sent out in the wedding invitations. Fourth was a picture collage that she created when she was 14. It had a picture of Duo and Catherine on their wedding day (she was only two years old at the time), a picture of Quatre and Wufei on their wedding day, a picture of Heero and Relena at their reception (with a seven-month-old Odin pulling Relena's hair), a few pictures of Sally, Millardo, Noin and some of scattered children of the group. But the one that seemed to mean the most to her, was the one she placed in the very center. It was a picture of the man she never had a chance to know, but knew he was her father. She lifted the picture into her hands with a smile on her face.

"I hope you're proud of me, Dad." She said with a hint of sadness in her voice. She stared at the picture of Trowa Barton for a few more minutes before she set it down and crawled into bed.

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**_(1) Fù Qīn – Chinese for "Father"._**

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**_Okay, that's it! It's over. Well, how was it? Good? Bad? Really bad? Let me know please! I hope you all enjoyed it and I hope you'll continue to read my stuff. Thanks again!_****_  
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